Evelyn schools ‘miss out’

By Tania Martin
EVELYN MP Christine Fyffe has blasted the State Government for neglecting schools in Mt Evelyn in the latest round of maintenance funding.
This comes after the State Government announced a $16 million maintenance funding boost for schools across Victoria.
Education MP John Lenders recently announced that 724 schools would receive a share of the funding to carry out important repairs and upgrade work.
Mr Lenders said the funding would be allocated through two programs, including $10 million for general maintenance such as roof and heating repairs ,and a $6 million program to fund toilet block upgrades.
He said this latest funding delivered on the Government’s budget promise to commit extra maintenance funding to those schools most in need.
“This funding will enable schools to carry out the crucial maintenance and repair tasks which are so important in providing students with safe, comfortable learning environments,” Mr Lenders said.
But Ms Fyffe said the Labor Government had failed to adequately address a backlog of maintenance works needed at schools in her electorate.
She said a recent government audit had shown that more than $3 million needed to be spent at schools in the Evelyn electorate.
According to the State Government’s audit Mt Evelyn Primary School needs more than $416,000, Mt Evelyn Special Development School needs more than $38,000 and Pembroke Secondary College $802,000.
Ms Fyffe said despite Pembroke College receiving $120,000 in the latest round of funding it was still not enough.
She said although the condition of many schools in her electorate needed urgent maintenance work the Government had failed to deliver.
Ms Fyffe said her electorate had only received $157,512 from the $16 million maintenance funding announcement.
“This is only five per cent of the total amount needed in the electorate,” she said.
“If the State Government continues to supply funding at this snail paced rate it will take 20 years to clear the backlog of maintenance.”
But a State Government spokesman said that the recent funding boost for schools was aimed at addressing the most urgent of the remaining maintenance issues identified by a detailed audit conducted in 2006.
The spokesman said that this latest funding comes on top of a $50 million boost that addressed the most urgent items identified by the audit last year.
“That audit also includes projected maintenance costs based on assessments of future maintenance needs,” he said.
“This latest funding is in addition to the significant amount that schools received in their annual budget to address maintenance.”
The spokesman said the State Government was committed to modernising and rebuilding schools rather than closing them down.
The Mail was unable to contact the schools in Mt Evelyn for comment because of the school holiday break.