❓ Mrs. O'Malley asks about the McGowan government's investment in school infrastructure and its impact on local businesses and job creation. The Premier responds by highlighting various school projects and criticizes the opposition's past actions.
AnsweredQoN 52Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
EDUCATION —
INFRASTRUCTURE
52. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the Murray–Wellington, I acknowledge Steve Thomas, the captain of
the Preston Beach Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, who is in the Speaker's
gallery today.
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government' investment in high-quality
school infrastructure that supports the first- class education of our
children.
(1) Can the
Premier update the house on how the government is not only delivering new
schools in our growing suburbs, but also building new education facilities such
as the new performing arts centre at Melville Senior High School?
(2) Can he advise
the house how this investment is supporting local businesses and helping to
create jobs?
INFRASTRUCTURE
52. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the Murray–Wellington, I acknowledge Steve Thomas, the captain of
the Preston Beach Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, who is in the Speaker's
gallery today.
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government' investment in high-quality
school infrastructure that supports the first- class education of our
children.
(1) Can the
Premier update the house on how the government is not only delivering new
schools in our growing suburbs, but also building new education facilities such
as the new performing arts centre at Melville Senior High School?
(2) Can he advise
the house how this investment is supporting local businesses and helping to
create jobs?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Bicton for the question. She is a great advocate for the
schools in her electorate and was very well received when we opened the
Melville Senior High School performing arts centre yesterday, a $5 million
investment by the state and the school. The performing arts centre will
directly benefit nearly 500 performing arts students at the school. It is an
iconic building, a wonderful space and it has supported 230 local jobs. It
means that that school, which is growing in size and has improved out of sight
over recent years, will deliver new facilities and support for its students. I was
at Mount Lawley Senior High School last week with the member for Mount Lawley
starting work on the state-of-the-art science,
technology, engineering and mathematics centre at Mount Lawley Senior High
School, which is a $4 million investment by the state. I thank the member for
his advocacy for that. Indeed, a couple of weeks ago, I was at Collie
Senior High School with the member for Collie–Preston, a former dux of
Collie Senior High School. He is a well-respected alumni of Collie Senior High
School. We were able to open the $7.5 million upgrade for that school. To be
fair, it has absolutely transformed the offerings that that school is able to
provide.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member, the leader is on his feet. I want
to hear him, not you.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Of course,
that commitment was made by the Liberal–National government in the
lead-up to the 2013 election and not delivered, so we are very pleased to have
provided that at Collie Senior High School.
In Broome, $20 million of upgrades
to Broome Senior High School are underway. In the Pilbara, $15 million of
upgrades to Hedland Senior High School are underway. As we know, Margaret River
Senior High School has massive ongoing upgrades. But, of course, the inner
suburbs and the western suburbs were neglected under the last Liberal–National government. We saw
the population of Churchlands Senior High School and Shenton College grow enormously with a sea of demountables
at each school when the Liberals and Nationals were in office. So it was with great pride that a few weeks ago, we opened Bob Hawke College in Subiaco, a first-class
building, a first-class school and an
amazing state-of-the-art facility. It is a $76 million investment to ease the
pressure on the inner suburbs . I thank the member for Perth for all his
advocacy for this new school. It has opened with 260 year 7 students in the
inaugural class. By 2025, the full cohort of years 7 to 12 will be more than 1 500
students. The feedback I received that day and indeed since has been
overwhelmingly positive, with one exception.
Mr D.A. Templeman : Who was
that?
Mr M. McGOWAN : It was the
member for Nedlands.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I know. He
spent eight and a half years in office and was a minister for most of that time
and he failed to deliver a new school for his electorate. We go and do
it for the people of Nedlands and he complains. This is what he had to say —
Bob Hawke College in my electorate—yes,
a tick, but it addresses only year 7s �
Then the Leader of the Opposition
chimed in and said that it has not helped Churchlands at all. When a new high
school opens, it starts with year 7 and the next year there will be year 8 and
the year after year 9, as they always do. Of
course, it was the Liberal Party that closed Scarborough Senior High School,
Hollywood Senior High School and Swanbourne Senior High School in the
western suburbs. It closed three high schools out there, but they are
complaining that we have built new high schools to meet the needs of the inner
suburbs and the western suburbs. It is a bit rich that the people of the
western suburbs appear, against their better interests, to vote for Liberal
Party members, and those Liberal Party
members complain when we deliver a state-of-the-art high school for those very people.
thank the member for Bicton for the question. She is a great advocate for the
schools in her electorate and was very well received when we opened the
Melville Senior High School performing arts centre yesterday, a $5 million
investment by the state and the school. The performing arts centre will
directly benefit nearly 500 performing arts students at the school. It is an
iconic building, a wonderful space and it has supported 230 local jobs. It
means that that school, which is growing in size and has improved out of sight
over recent years, will deliver new facilities and support for its students. I was
at Mount Lawley Senior High School last week with the member for Mount Lawley
starting work on the state-of-the-art science,
technology, engineering and mathematics centre at Mount Lawley Senior High
School, which is a $4 million investment by the state. I thank the member for
his advocacy for that. Indeed, a couple of weeks ago, I was at Collie
Senior High School with the member for Collie–Preston, a former dux of
Collie Senior High School. He is a well-respected alumni of Collie Senior High
School. We were able to open the $7.5 million upgrade for that school. To be
fair, it has absolutely transformed the offerings that that school is able to
provide.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member, the leader is on his feet. I want
to hear him, not you.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Of course,
that commitment was made by the Liberal–National government in the
lead-up to the 2013 election and not delivered, so we are very pleased to have
provided that at Collie Senior High School.
In Broome, $20 million of upgrades
to Broome Senior High School are underway. In the Pilbara, $15 million of
upgrades to Hedland Senior High School are underway. As we know, Margaret River
Senior High School has massive ongoing upgrades. But, of course, the inner
suburbs and the western suburbs were neglected under the last Liberal–National government. We saw
the population of Churchlands Senior High School and Shenton College grow enormously with a sea of demountables
at each school when the Liberals and Nationals were in office. So it was with great pride that a few weeks ago, we opened Bob Hawke College in Subiaco, a first-class
building, a first-class school and an
amazing state-of-the-art facility. It is a $76 million investment to ease the
pressure on the inner suburbs . I thank the member for Perth for all his
advocacy for this new school. It has opened with 260 year 7 students in the
inaugural class. By 2025, the full cohort of years 7 to 12 will be more than 1 500
students. The feedback I received that day and indeed since has been
overwhelmingly positive, with one exception.
Mr D.A. Templeman : Who was
that?
Mr M. McGOWAN : It was the
member for Nedlands.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I know. He
spent eight and a half years in office and was a minister for most of that time
and he failed to deliver a new school for his electorate. We go and do
it for the people of Nedlands and he complains. This is what he had to say —
Bob Hawke College in my electorate—yes,
a tick, but it addresses only year 7s �
Then the Leader of the Opposition
chimed in and said that it has not helped Churchlands at all. When a new high
school opens, it starts with year 7 and the next year there will be year 8 and
the year after year 9, as they always do. Of
course, it was the Liberal Party that closed Scarborough Senior High School,
Hollywood Senior High School and Swanbourne Senior High School in the
western suburbs. It closed three high schools out there, but they are
complaining that we have built new high schools to meet the needs of the inner
suburbs and the western suburbs. It is a bit rich that the people of the
western suburbs appear, against their better interests, to vote for Liberal
Party members, and those Liberal Party
members complain when we deliver a state-of-the-art high school for those very people.
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