Geelong schools get funding boost

SCHOOLS in Torquay and across the Geelong region appear to be among the biggest winners so far from the coming state budget, with more than $36 million announced last week to build new schools or upgrade existing ones.

Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney and Labor candidate for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman visited to the future site of the Armstrong Creek West Primary School on Friday to announce the school would receive $20.2 million for construction and would open in 2020.

Ms Tierney and Mr Cheeseman also visited Torquay College on Friday to announce a $1.9 million grant to upgrade and modernise facilities.

Armstrong Creek West Primary School (located in Villawood’s Armstrong Mt Duneed estate) has been a long time coming – in May 2016, Ms Tierney announced funding for the school was part of $54 million for schools in the 2016/7 budget and it would open in about 18 months (November 2017).

The school was not open by that date, and Ms Tierney would not be drawn on why it had taken another four months to announce the school’s construction other than to say “there were negotiations”.

Villawood Properties also announced the sale of the 2.4-hectare site to the state government, and executive director Rory Costelloe said the news provided certainty to families living in the estate.

“Schools are essential in any community and people have been crying out for a school at Armstrong.”

Other schools to get funding in the pre-budget announcement include:

• $3.9 million for the design and early works for Armstrong Creek Secondary School
• $2.1 million for Barwon Valley School to refurbish classrooms and facilities in poor condition
• $1.6 million for Highton Primary School
• $1.3 million for Surfside Primary School
• $600,000 for Ceres Primary School to deliver the next stage of their master plan
• $600,000 for Moolap Primary School
• $400,000 for Wallington Primary School, and
• $300,000 for Teesdale Primary School.