Upgrades set for high school gym

WOODMANS Hill Secondary College will receive a significant grant to update its indoor recreation area as part of funding announced during the State budget.

Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle met with students to announce $272,125 for works on the school’s gymnasium facilities with the money coming from a statewide $70 million pool.

“Woodmans Hill provides an amazing education, the school, like all schools in our region, is so passionate about giving every child the best start in life,” Ms Settle said.

“The recreation space is not just used by the school but also local futsal space and is really part of the community as well.

“It’s a wonderful centre but it’s in need of some love so it was clear it needed this boost… we really want to provide the buildings and services with the great teaching that the students deserve.”

The money will go towards the gymnasium’s flooring, basketball back boards, change and toilet facilities and other maintenance.

Woodmans Hill principal Stephan Fields said he would love for the recreation area to not only be used by the students, but for it to become a centre for the Ballarat East community.

“We really are a community school, we have East Ballarat housing group that use our facilities and the futsal at the centre,” he said.

“This commitment from the Andrew’s Government is massive for us … we’re hoping to get more people involved, … this year’s shown us more than ever that the kids have missed being able to participate.”

Woodmans Hill’s student sport leader Nykiah Tinetti said while it’s great the school has a large sport offering, the facilities are overdue for an upgrade.

“The basketball hoops and the floors need to be done first, there’s so many holes around,” she said. “The bathrooms and the toilets need to be looked at as well, the doors don’t lock properly.

“Normally we would be playing basketball, netball, badminton, soccer, pretty much all the main sports and our PE classes … it will be good to start playing sport again, especially on new floors.”

Other schools in the Buninyong electorate to receive funding from the $70 million Minor Capital Works Fund include Sebastopol, Mount Clear, Mount Pleasant, Cape Clear, Gordon, Lal Lal, and Myrniong primary schools who will receive between $19,000 and $350,000 each.