Lynda Voltz MP, Member for Auburn, has ramped up the campaign for the full construction of the long overdue new high school at Wentworth Point, not the half a school currently proposed by the NSW Liberal Government.
Speaking in the NSW Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Voltz condemned the decision at this stage to only build half the high school and to cater for only 800 students, rather than the required 1500 student capacity identified by the Department of Education as needed by the local community.
The NSW Government itself has identified that by 2036 there will be a shortfall of 5,755 student spaces within local catchment area, yet they refuse to even cater for the current need for 1500 student spaces.
Ms Voltz said:
“The NSW Liberal Government has not submitted any plans for stage two of the new High School nor committed any funds, instead it is promising that the other half will be built some time on the never-never.
This is a repeat of the Wentworth Point Public School disaster where the Department of Education identified a need for capacity for 1,000 students at the school but instead the NSW Liberal Government cut costs and only built a school with a capacity of 400 students was built.
Within three years of opening this school now has 15 demountables on Wentworth Point Public School’s very restricted site, including two double storey demountables and the school has 522 students.”
Ms Voltz stated this is a disaster the NSW Liberals now plan to repeat at the new high school. “It is fair to say that local parents, already unhappy with the proposed site but after a decade of waiting want to get on with the job, are now furious over the lack of commitment to fully build the school.
When will this NSW Liberal Government learn that half built schools are not the solution and will be at capacity from day one.”
Ms Voltz has put forward a motion to the NSW Parliament demanding that the entire new high school be built once and built right, not in two stages with no money committed for stage two and will be joined by Shadow Minister for Education Prue Car to meet with local parents and the community about the high school in coming weeks.
DATE: THURSDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: 0433 433 604
Attached – Hansard recording of Lynda Voltz’s speeches to NSW Parliament about this issue on Tuesday 15th Feb 2022 & Wednesday 16th Feb 2022 (part 1, part 2)
