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Foster Primary School in need of urgent reconstruction funding to replace declining infrastructure

Danny O'Brien reiterated his call for the Labor government to finance the reconstruction of Foster Primary School, citing its deteriorating infrastructure, urging the government to prioritise funding in the upcoming state budget.

By news@gippsland - 26th March 2024 - Back to News

The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien has again called on the Allan Labor government to fund a fully rebuilt primary school for Foster. Speaking in Parliament, Mr O'Brien highlighted that Foster Primary School's main building was built in 1965 and is certainly showing its age.

Despite presenting 1000 signatures to Labor, O'Brien calls for funding commitment in 2024-2025 State Budget for vital project completion

School infrastructure concerns

Mr O'Brien said, "The school has asbestos issues throughout and literally has chunks of brickwork falling off its exterior. It does not make financial sense for the school to continue to throw money at maintenance for things that clearly need to be replaced."

"I have been working with Foster Primary School and its wider community since I was first elected in 2015 to highlight the need for new facilities. It's simply not acceptable that our children and teachers have to put up with these conditions," he said.

Funding for rebuild

Mr O'Brien said The Nationals had committed to providing $3 million to fund the rebuild in 2022, but that the Labor government had failed to match that commitment. "I collected and presented the Labor government with over 1000 signatures on a petition backing the project, but despite the enormous community support shown, Labor has continuously failed to finish the job."

"I am now calling on the Allan Labor government to ensure that the funds are committed in the 2024-2025 State Budget to ensure that this crucial project can be undertaken as a matter of priority," concluded Mr O'Brien.

Pictures from Foster Primary-School Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com