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Sale College Short-Changed By Bracks GovernmentThe Bracks Government has abandoned Sale College in this year's State Budget, failing to correct the under-funding of its Stage Four redevelopment. By Philip Davis - 6th May 2005 - Back to News Liberal Member for Gippsland Province Philip Davis said Education Minister Lynne Kosky allocated funds for the redevelopment of the college last year, but it has since been discovered the college was short-changed by a whopping $300,000.
In the Gippsland Times newspaper in May last year, the Minister accused Mr Davis of not getting his facts straight about funding for the college.
"He (Mr Davis) can apologise to me because we will definitely be providing the money."
- Education Minister Lynne Kosky, Gippsland Times, Tuesday 11th May 2004
Mr Davis told State Parliament yesterday that the Bracks Government had let the Sale College community down by failing to allocate further funds in this week’s budget.
He said Stage Four was now being scaled back because of lack of funds.
"Works to be omitted include the refurbishment and upgrading of the technology building; this building is to be only half renovated," Mr Davis told the Parliament.
"There is to be no work carried out on the engineering metal and systems woodwork departments.
"The Victorian Certificate of Education students at the Macalister campus have been waiting since 1995 for the facility to be upgraded. They are frustrated that this critical project has not been finalized. The facilities are totally inadequate and the commitment to the Sale community has not been honoured.
"The repairing and resurfacing of a bus bay has not been done. There is currently a hole in the bus bay that is two metres in diameter and constitutes a trip hazard to the students, staff and members of the public.
"The demolition of an existing portable classroom in disrepair and the construction of the staff car park have also been excluded because of under-funding.
"The school is asking for the Minister to honour her commitment last year. I remind the Minister that she took a gratuitous opportunity to criticize my advocacy on behalf of the college in the local press. I ask her to apologise to me and explain to the school why its redevelopment has been under-funded by $300,000."
Mr Davis said the College’s only hope of recouping the lost funds was to apply for a Stage 5 of the project in next year’s budget.
Mr Davis made representations to the Minister and the Treasurer prior to the release of the State Budget this week, but they have so far failed to respond.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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