Schools benefit from fire fund

JUST in time for bushfire season, the Victorian government is set to fund maintenance and fire readiness works in over four-hundred schools across the state.

Not only will schools benefit from the money, but the project also aims to support jobs and local businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic by improving school related facilities.

At Mount Clear Primary School, Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle announced the 13 schools in the electorate will share $450,000 from the Planned Maintenance Program and $188,000 from the Bushfire Preparedness Program.

“This will create jobs and wonderful schools that our teachers, principals and students can get the best out of,” she said.

“It’s important that we prepare the grounds around the school but also the shelter in place program which means that schoolkids can shelter safely within the school.”

The maintenance program funding will provide essential work to grounds and classrooms including fixing roofs and windows, painting and resurfacing floors.

Principal Cameron Landry said the money will go towards the school’s high priority maintenance including ceiling, downpipe and structural repairs, painting works and the school’s shelter in place building.

“We’ve been lucky enough to secure $310,000 which is amazing for our school and community,” he said.

“We’re able to put the money towards the upkeep of our buildings and prepare them for the fire season to be fire ready.”

“Having a shelter in place is really important for everyone not just our students but also parents and our community to know that in the event of a fire, that our children will be safe at school.”

Aside from Mount Clear Primary, Phoenix P-12 Community College will also receive $100,000, Sebastopol Primary School will make use of $20,000, Canadian Lead Primary School gets $15,000 and Mount Pleasant Primary School will gain $5000 for specific high-priority maintenance works.

Nine other schools in the area will also share in over $188,000 of bushfire preparedness funding to clear vegetation and undertake other essential maintenance ahead of the upcoming bushfire season.

They include Buninyong, Lal Lal, Linton, Mount Clear and Mount Egerton primary schools, and Mount Clear College.