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Winter comes early
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CASH SNUB
By Brad Lester
AN OVERCROWDED school, crumbling buildings and roads, and need for water security did nothing to sway the State Government to fund urgent projects in South Gippsland in last week’s state budget.
Fun loving trio Festival time: from left, Jamie Crutchfield, Gaby Daly and Natalie Taylor represented Mirboo North Primary School in the grand parade at Mirboo North Arty Gras on Saturday. Discover more festival fun on page 4 and turn to pages 16-24 for a preview of schools’ activities during Education Week, next week.
THE GREAT SOUTHERN STAR
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Wonthaggi Secondary College has too many students on the pokey senior campus and was hoping for a new school, as part of the Bass Coast Education Precinct. Leongatha and Korumburra secondary colleges need funding for vital upgrades. All schools were overlooked on the eve of Education Week, next week. The region was hoping for more roads funding to address poor conditions and South Gippsland Water wanted money to link the Lance Creek reservoir with the Korumburra, Loch, Nyora and Poowong water systems, securing water supplies for those towns. Wonthaggi Hospital needed $25 million for a new facility. These projects were also ignored. Gippsland South MLA Danny O’Brien and Bass MLA Brian Paynter were disappointed. Mr O’Brien said the cuts to road fund-
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ing would condemn local roads to more potholes, damage and reduced safety. “Labor has not only axed the successful Country Roads and Bridges program in this budget, it has also slashed VicRoads funding by 10 per cent,” he said. Mr O’Brien said he would continue to advocate for funding for Leongatha and Korumburra secondary colleges to deliver better facilities for children and their teachers. “Korumburra received funds for an upgrade from The Nationals last year and we committed to a full rebuild prior to the election,” he said. “Labor has ignored the need for this rebuild and delivered nothing for this school, nor the additional $1.5 million we pledged to finish Leongatha Secondary College.” Mr O’Brien will table a petition calling for funding for Korumburra Secondary College in parliament within weeks. “The minister (for education, James Merlino) did tell us there are three more budgets before the next election, which is a way of saying it does not mean there will no funding in the future,” Mr O’Brien said. A spokesperson for Mr Merlino said the government would continue to work with schools, parents and their communities. Continued on page 7.