Budget spends up on schools

THE patrons and staff of the Geelong Performing Arts Centre will be dancing in the aisles, with the Victorian 2019-20 budget delivering $128 million towards the third and final stage of the centre’s redevelopment.

The GPAC commitment is the largest single spending measure for the Geelong region in the budget, handed down by Treasurer Tim Pallas on Monday.

Spending in the Surf Coast and Armstrong Creek area includes:
• $910,000 for improvements to Bellbrae Primary School
• $2 million towards consultation to create 10 new community hospitals across the state, including one in Torquay
• A capped grant to upgrade the Jan Juc SLSC clubhouse
• $5 million towards Iona College
• $4 million for Lisieux Catholic Primary School
• A new CFA station at Armstrong Creek, and
• $400,000 of progress planning towards the $318 million commitment to upgrade Barwon Heads Road.

In the Bellarine, commitments include:
• $893,000 to begin planning for the new VCE Centre at Bellarine Secondary College
• $500,000 for the master planning ahead of upgrades at Clifton Springs Primary School
• $2 million of upgrades at Our Lady Star of Sea School
• A new dedicated Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) service for the Bellarine
• Upgrade of the Ocean Grove ambulance station
• $1 million to build a Barwon Heads Community Hub
• Funding to upgrade the Barwon Heads Surf Life Saving Club to extend facilities and add a new training room, and
• $5 million to deliver stage two of the Drysdale Sports Precinct.

“This budget builds on the Labor Government’s record for delivering great schools, quality healthcare and emergency services, and improving local roads across the Bellarine,” Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said.

State leader of Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party and Member for Western Victoria Stuart Grimley said he was “ecstatic” to see $14.5 million for presumptive legislation for emergency service workers, as it was an issue on which he had lobbied hard.

“I’m glad to see education – and particularly schools – playing a particular focus in the budget.

As a former principal I place huge importance on regional public schools having competitive facilities to city and independent schools.”

“Living in Armstrong Creek, I can see every day how much our community is growing. I’m glad we’ll be seeing a fire station after a tragedy in the area late last year.”