Blue Mountains schools will not receive a single dollar from the so-called “unprecedented” education infrastructure spend in the state budget, said Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle.
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“The Blue Mountains community has been left out in the cold with this budget. After years of privatisation and public asset sales, this government has billions of dollars of our money at its disposal, but they have failed to reinvest any money in our local schools. It’s a disgrace,” said Ms Doyle.
While more than 120 primary and high schools will be built or upgraded across NSW, Blue Mountains schools were not included in the budget list. In the neighbouring Penrith electorate, a long-awaited school for Jordan Springs was included.
“When you look at a map of their schools upgrades, there’s nothing between Emu Plains and Bathurst. They’ve completely ignored the needs of Blue Mountains schools and continued with their Sydney-centric view of the state,” said Ms Doyle.
But Upper House Liberal MP Shayne Mallard said “decisions on new and upgraded schools projects are made by the department after monitoring population and development trends so that it can plan to meet enrolment needs in schools across NSW”.
“To do so, the department regularly consults with the Department of Planning and Environment, local councils, UrbanGrowth NSW and local developers.”
Mr Mallard said the government announced in April an additional $60 million for backlog maintenance funding, in addition to $330 million already committed for the 2016-17 financial year. Extra funding of $411 million was allocated in the latest state budget.
“This money means over 2100 schools across NSW will have work done to fix roofs, floor coverings and paints attended to by June 2018,” said Mr Mallard.
“Many schools will have no backlog at the end of this period. Decisions on school maintenance works in the Blue Mountains will be made as required throughout the year.”
Ms Doyle identified Blaxland High School’s desperate need for new industrial kitchens to allow them to undertake HSC-level coursework in food technology, along with the industrial technology facilities at Katoomba High which are “from another century” as well as the crumbling infrastructure at Springwood High, which has not been renovated or upgraded since it first opened in 1967.
Opposition education spokesman Jihad Dib said “as a former principal, I know how disappointed the teachers and parents of Blue Mountains schools will be with this budget given how patient they have been in waiting for any action on their schools’ huge maintenance backlog”.
