ARCHITECTS will be appointed for the works on Delcombe Primary School before the end of the year.
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The school was pledged $2 million by the Labor Party to revamp its facilities in the lead-up to last year’s Victorian election.
On Tuesday the school was one of many in the Ballarat region to receive a visit from Education Minister James Merlino.
“We made a commitment to deliver $2 million for a major rebuild of this fantastic primary school, we delivered that funding at our very first budget,” he said.
“Planning is under way and architects will be appointed in term four and construction will go ahead as quickly as possible in 2016.”
Mr Merlino was given a tour of the facilities by students, seeing a number of areas in need of repair.
“The five and six area, you have significant cracks in the wall and we need to get rid of that portable but not only to do that, we need to do improvements right across the school,” he said.
“There is no doubt there are schools right across Victoria that are in significant need of attention and facility upgrades.
Wendouree MP Sharon Knight said the school already had great teachers, students, but the funding would provide great facilities.
“The key things are the portables, you can see the cracks in the walls, the toilet block really needs to be fixed up.
“It is important that there is the outdoor and indoor learning space to take full advantage of the programs this school offers, the wide range of programs, the kitchen program, the garden program. We need to be supporting and valuing that.
“I communicate with all of the schools, in my electorate, you don’t have to ask me twice to go to a school, I love it.”
The school’s principal Scott Phillips highlighted the toilet block as one of the areas most in need of a revamp.
“We have a toilet block that is old and not with the modern times,” he said.
He said the funding was great for the entire school community with multiple discussions already taking place into what is needed.
“Having the money locked in for the school means we can start moving ahead with the plans we had envisioned for the school,” he said. “We are really excited about the future ahead for the school.
“It is about making sure it meets the needs for what we want, we have had discussions with our teachers and our school council about what we think is best for our school.”
Despite the array of funding available to multiple schools across Ballarat, Opposition spokesperson for education Nick Wakeling said a number of others still needed support “Mount Clear College, Ballarat High School and (the proposed) Lucas Primary are also in desperate need of funding which is why it is concerning to learn today that Daniel Andrews has wasted another $30 million by scrapping the East West Link, which could have paid for at least two brand new schools for the region."