Works defended

By Tania Martin
THE State Government has defended the ongoing maintenance of Victorian schools following claims that Emerald College had a backlog of works worth more than $400,000.
Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said that maintenance work on schools across the state was a gradual process.
This comes after Liberal spokesman for Education Martin Dixon slammed Ms Pike for not doing enough to address maintenance in schools.
Mr Dixon said that since taking over the portfolio six months ago, Ms Pike had done nothing but sit back and watch as the government school system slid further into decay. He said that one of the schools, Emerald College, had a massive backlog works.
“Under her watch (Pike), teachers are striking and preparing for rolling stoppages into the new school year because of the Government’s refusal to improve working conditions,” Mr Dixon said.
But a spokesman for Ms Pike said school maintenance was a continual effort and is part of the Government’s unprecedented $6.1 billion investment in Victorian schools since 1999.
In response to the claims about Emerald College, the spokesman said that more than three quarters of the work had already been paid for and was currently in the process of being fixed.
“Furthermore Emerald College has recently completed a $1.8 million upgrade of a number of general purpose classrooms, staff work spaces and new toilet facilities,” the spokesman said.
“This project has also addressed a number of issues identified in the 2005 school maintenance audit.”
Emerald College principal Wayne Burgess declined to comment on the matter but did say that maintenance work was always ongoing.