Funds for

SEVEN schools in the Upper Yarra area are set to share in a total of $280,585 maintenance funds as part of the State Government’s $16 million dollar boost to Victorian schools.
The biggest winners are Yellingbo Primary School, which was handed a neat $100,000 to upgrade its toilets, while Warburton Primary School received $104,624 for roofing works and toilet upgrades.
Other local schools to benefit include Yarra Junction Primary School which received $37,052 for retaining wall and roofing repairs and Millwarra Primary School which got $26,790 for asphalt resurfacing, stumping works and stormwater drainage repairs.
Hoddles Creek Primary School received $7867 for the replacement of a PA system, roofing, draining and other paving works while Wesburn Primary School received $1752 for roof works.
The $16 million in maintenance comes in addition to the Bracks Government’s $1.9 billion commitment to rebuild or modernise 500 government schools over the next four years and every Victorian government school over the next decade.
Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato said the maintenance projects would make a huge difference to schools in the area.
“Ongoing maintenance is essential to ensuring the quality of existing facilities and this funding is on top of routine maintenance funding allocated to all schools,” Ms Lobato said.
“Education is our main priority and today’s announcement is another example of our approach to ensuring the best educational outcomes.”
But Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe said only six out of 21 schools in her electorate benefited from the latest round of maintenance funding.
“Despite the condition of many of these schools the Evelyn electorate has only received a stingy $157,512 out of the $16 million announced last week,” Ms Fyffe said.
“This is only five per cent of the total amount needed in the electorate.
“If the State Government continues to supply funding at this snail-paced rate it will take 20 years to clear the backlog, let alone make any provision for future maintenance,” she said.