By Derek Schlennstedt
In the weeks leading up to the election, La Trobe Liberal MP Jason Wood and Labor candidate Simon Curtis have been going toe-to-toe to secure votes.
In one final cash splash before the 18 May election, Simon Curtis announced more than $1 million for Emerald Secondary College, while Jason Wood announced that the Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club would receive $450,000, on top of the announcement that a new mobile base station will be built to improve mobile coverage in Gembrook.
On May 8, Simon Curtis – accompanied by Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong – announced that an elected Labor Government will invest $50,000 for an outdoor science learning area at Emerald Secondary College.
This was on top of an additional $1.01 million that Emerald Secondary College will receive over the first three years if a Labor Government is elected.
Should Mr Curtis win the seat of La Trobe, the garden beds and concrete walkway at the school will be transformed into a new learning space which would enhance the school’s science program, increase the profile of science amongst the student body and wider community, and allow them to be immersed in science during both their play and learning time.
“This funding will enable the many groups who visit the college, including primary school students and university professionals, the opportunity to use the outdoors as part of the science program and their research work,” Mr Curtis said.
“This outdoor learning area will assist to complement the STEM studies being undertaken in the classroom.”
In the same week that Mr Curtis announced his education commitments Liberal MP Jason Wood announced that the Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club would receive $450,000 to upgrade facilities if the Morrison Government is re-elected.
Mr Wood said the project was a key priority because of the significant benefits for the community, with sport playing an important role across the region.
“This funding will help Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club to upgrade their club rooms,” Mr Wood said.
Mr Wood also announced on 8 May that that a new mobile phone base station will be funded to improve mobile coverage for Gembrook.
Under the Liberal Government Gembrook has been identified as a mobile base station priority, with the Liberal National Government allocating $60 million for 125 base stations under the Priority Locations Round of the Liberal National Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.
The seat of La Trobe is held by Liberal MP Jason Wood with a margin of 3.2 per cent.
