Shadow Minister for Illawarra Ryan Park has no idea whether any money will be devoted to fixing the significant school maintenance backlogs in his electorate of Keira.
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But Mr Park was adamant the NSW Government’s recent announcement to spend an extra $60 million to target schools with the longest list of maintenance jobs, was only a “drop in the ocean’’.
- Scroll down to see the maintenance backlog at your school
Dubbed the ‘’single biggest injection in maintenance backlog spending in the state’s history’’, the extra cash would bring the government’s school repair spending to $390 million.
But Mr Park said the $60 million committed was less than 10 per cent of the needed funds to ensure NSW schools were operating effectively.
He said Government inaction had seen the bill for fixing the schools’ ailing facilities grow by $195 million in 2014-15.
‘’The Government is dragging its heels with regards to repairing the schools that they have let fall into dilapidation. It is clear that the Liberals don’t take the needs of our children seriously,’’ Mr Park said.
He said the school maintenance backlog in the Illawarra alone was in excess of $39 million.
Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, Bulli, Corrimal, Keira and Figtree High School were the most dilapidated schools in the Keira electorate, whose top 10 most run-down schools have a combined backlog of more than $14.5 million.
The bill for the top 10 most dilapidated schools in the Wollongong electorate is in excess of $10 million.
Seven Illawarra schools have maintenance backlogs in excess of $1 million, while 23 schools have maintenance backlogs totaling more than $500,000.
‘’As a former teacher, I know how important well-equipped schools are. This Government is letting schoolkids and teachers suffer,’’ Mr Park said.
‘’Gladys’s Government has plenty of money to spend on stadiums and toll roads in Sydney, but has no interest in fixing up our crumbling schools.
“Only now, because of pressure from Labor and the community, is it finally doing something about it. Whether it is fixing roofs, repairing carpets or leaky toilets, creating the right learning environment for our children is of paramount importance.’’
