Thursday, 4 June 2026

 Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (04:42): (2571) My matter is for the Minister for Education and is regarding the critical shortage of special development schools in Melbourne’s western suburbs. The action I seek is for the minister to urgently commit to planning and funding the construction of a special development school in Melbourne’s west to meet both current and future demand. I rise to draw attention to a petition brought forward by concerned families and community members, highlighting the severe lack of suitable school places for children with the most complex and profound disabilities. Currently Melbourne’s west, home to more than 900,000 people, is serviced by only two special development schools, Sunshine and Yarraville. Both are operating beyond capacity with extensive waiting lists. Families report being told that there are no spaces for their children, despite those children clearly meeting the eligibility criteria for the level of specialist support. For these families it is not a matter of preference, it is a matter of necessity.

Children who require special development schools have severe, profound intellectual disability, may be non-verbal and need intensive one-to-one support simply to learn basic life skills. When they cannot access these schools, they are placed in an environment that is simply not equipped to meet their needs. This results in distress, disengagement and development opportunity loss. We now have a waiting list in excess of two years for some of these schools. Families are forced to travel long distances, disrupt their lives and watch their children fall behind in a system that cannot support them.

This is not equity. It is not equal and it is not acceptable. What makes this situation even more concerning is that it has been more than 38 years since a new special development school was built in Melbourne’s west. In my electorate over the time the population has grown rapidly. The number of children requiring special needs support has increased significantly, yet infrastructure has not kept pace. While a new special school in Werribee South is planned, it is clear that this will only partially relieve the pressure. The demand already exceeds current and future capacity. So I ask the minister: please, commit to building a new special school in Melbourne’s west, so every child, regardless of their need, can access the education, support and dignity that they deserve.