Constituency Question: School Maintenance Blitz

Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) (11:48): (2277) My constituency question is to the Minister for Education. What information can the minister provide on progress in delivering the Andrews Labor government’s school maintenance blitz across the Yuroke electorate? Last year the government announced that 12 local schools would benefit from $1.4 million in funding, which will help them to undertake essential works. This is in addition to new learning facilities in classrooms that the government has provided to cater for extra enrolments, as well as six new local schools that are being delivered locally across this term of government. The school maintenance blitz will ensure that every local student can take pride in their school’s facilities, and I look forward to hearing more from the minister about the rollout of this funding in my electorate.

Response:

Ms Spence, thank you for your question. I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing work you are doing within your community, which contributes to this Government building the Education State, so that every Victorian gets the opportunity for a great education and every community has access to a great school.

As you are aware, in September 2019, the Andrews Labor Government announced that every government school will receive a share of $515 million in the single largest boost to school maintenance ever undertaken. This includes an initial $1.4 million to 12 schools in the Yuroke electorate.

The funding is allocated over five years, with an extra $97 million provided in the 2019 school year and an extra $236 million in 2020. Following this Maintenance Blitz, there is an additional $72 million in the 2021 school year and an extra $43 million ongoing.

Funding has already begun to roll out to schools in the Yuroke electorate, in particular, through the Department of Education and Training’s maintenance programs and the Student Resource Package, which has provided additional funding directly to schools at the start of each term since the announcement.

I trust this information is of assistance and demonstrates the commitment of the Government to staff, students and the Yuroke community.

The Hon James Merlino MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for Education