New school to create new jobs
WONTHAGGI’S education and employment opportunities look likely to boom, after Premier Daniel Andrews announced $32.5 million for a new senior campus of Wonthaggi Secondary College last Friday.
The project will also include a new highball stadium for the community.
Mr Andrews said, “The best part of $32.5 million means an awful lot of jobs. This is a very significant project and we will aim to make sure as many of those jobs are local in terms of building contracts and trades.
“That income is very important to the local community and many of those workers will be visiting local cafes as I did, spending money in the local community and supporting the local community.”
The funding – a total of $31 million from the State Government coupled with $1.5 million from Bass Coast Shire Council – was sorely needed as the school struggles to cope with a population boom.
The McBride Avenue campus became even more cramped earlier this year when yet another portable was put on the already undersized school oval to accommodate the growing number of students.
Across both campuses, there are 1300 students of which 600 go to the McBride campus. By 2020, this total expected to skyrocket to more than 1400 students.
Year 11 students showed The Star cracks in the walls of the existing school, cramped classrooms and outdated facilities.
“Although we won’t be here to enjoy it, this is an important step for the learning of others. We have incredible teachers at this school who are all very passionate but they are held back by this facility. It’s great to know they will be getting a facility they deserve to be in,” student Jack Mendes said.
The new campus will include outdoor learning spaces and a central plaza, a library, and specialist facilities for visual arts, graphics, materials technology and science.
Mr Andrews said, “There has never been any question that this is an outstanding school, but the real challenge now is getting school buildings and facilities to match.”
Mr Andrews said council’s involvement had been critical to not only fund a new school but a community hub.
Mayor Cr Pamela Rothfield said she was left almost speechless by the announcement.
“We have a shire of 865 square kilometres; this is only public high school. We’ve got students travelling across this whole region and it’s something that will benefit the entire community so we are very excited. It was a long and hard battle but we are so thankful,” she said.
Eastern Victorian Region MLC Harriet Shing was thanked for championing the project and continuously pushing for funding.
“I think it’s a sign of the will of this community that we’ve had local government, State Government, so many community groups and local people who went to this school when it was still dire and are still asking for funding, to finally get to the day where we know with some certainty that a new school will be built,” she said.
Bass MLA Brian Paynter said the news was “brilliant”.
“Congratulations to all concerned. What an enormous community effort. And I emphasis the word community. Never have I seen such a combined, concerted and dedicated effort for a single project and what an outcome. Throw in the basketball courts and you have possibly the most exciting development to ever come to Wonthaggi,” he said.
Principal Darren Parker said concept designs for the new school were ready.
The project will be managed by the Victorian School Building Authority and will go out to tender in December.
Construction is expected to take around 18 months.
Exciting moment: Wonthaggi Secondary College Year 11 student Jack Mendes was thrilled to meet Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday. Mr Andrews announced the State Government and Bass Coast Shire Council would pool $32.5 million for a new school precinct.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Oct 31 2017. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
