Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) (17:19:29) — (14 133) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to consider funding for the acquisition of land in Merrifield West for a future P–6 school. Merrifield and other surrounding developments in the Mickleham area have only commenced construction in recent years, but they are already home to thousands of families, including many with young children. These developments will continue to provide homes for tens of thousands of additional residents in the coming years, making the need for community resources and infrastructure all the more vital. A future Merrifield West P–6 school would complement the many great schools in the Yuroke electorate and build on the Andrews Labor government’s record of local investment in better access to education, including new schools and improved resources. I hope the minister positively considers this request, and I thank him for the great work that this government has done in ensuring that Victoria is the Education State.

Response:

To the Member for Yuroke, thank you for your question concerning the acquisition of land in Merrifield West for a future primary school.

As you are aware, the Premier and I visited John Henry Primary School on 13 March to announce a $236.8 million investment to purchase land for 14 new school sites, including in Mickleham for the future Merrifield West Primary School. The funding will enable the Victorian School Building Authority to purchase land for new schools across Melbourne’s booming inner and outer suburbs, including land in the growth areas of Clyde North, Cranbourne West, Mickleham, Deanside, Rockbank, Cobblebank, Wollert, Wyndham Vale and Pakenham. A site will also be acquired in Seddon for a new Seddon Campus as part of the Footscray Learning Precinct.

Over $2.8 billion has already invested by the Andrews Labor Government in school infrastructure as part of the Education State. We are now delivering 64 new school projects across Victoria to meet the demand created by the state’s population boom, with more than 90,000 school-aged children and teenagers predicted to call Victoria home by 2022.

The Hon James Merlino MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for Education
Minister for Emergency Services