NEWS DESK
Permanent plea for Yarrabah Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A SPECIAL needs school in Aspendale has special needs of its own. Rising enrolments at the school, which provides programs and curriculums for children with intellectual and psychical disabilities, is putting pressure on its portable facilities. Principal Matthew Harris said 20 of the school’s 24 buildings are relocatable “temporary” buildings and a plan and funding are needed to provide a permanent school “for our students with disabilities to be provided with the best facilities they deserve”. “The school is growing and as we grow we continue to add relocatable buildings.” “A relocatable master plan has been talked about but that’s not good enough. We need a master plan for a permanent school.” The school has 155 school aged students between the ages of 5-18, about 65 kinder aged students and also runs a playgroup. “We’re expected enrolments of the school aged program will go up to 170 as a conservative figure,” Mr Harris said. He said the Department of Education provides more relocatable classrooms as student numbers rise but it has reached a point where this is unsustainable in the long term. Families from the Kingston area and as far afield as Frankston, Carrum Downs and the Mornington Peninsula enrol students at the school. “The school has certainly shown that it can cater for a big enrolment and the programs and the curriculum
Master plan: Yarrabah School principal Matthew Harris and Catherine, back, with Ben and Sarah, front, hope the school for special needs children will have its portable classrooms replaced. Picture: Gary Sissons
is very popular among the community which is why we have so many choosing to come here,” Mr Harris said. Mordialloc Labor MP Tim Richardson has asked Education Minister James Merlino to visit Yarrabah School to see “an exceptional example of giving all students with special needs the best possible outcomes”. “Yarrabah has experienced unprecedented growth in student numbers in the region,” Mr Richardson said. “In 1990 Yarrabah had a total of 19 children and it has expanded year on
year to over 150 children today. “The motto of Yarrabah School is ‘The small school with a big heart’, and the school is renowned in our community. “I believe we need to assess the long-term requirements and needs at Yarrabah and determine whether current arrangements are appropriate. Mr Richardson hoped the state government can work with the school community and determine its future demands to “get the best outcomes for the students and their families on site”.
Parties clash over stadium funding A MAJOR redevelopment of the Frankston Basketball Association stadium in Seaford is being used as a political football with claims and counter claims between the major political parties about funding the $20-$25 million project. The former Coalition state government went to November’s election promising to pitch in $2.5 million towards the $13 million stage one redevelopment of the stadium but federal Liberal MP for Dunkley Bruce Billson has tried to get Labor to commit $4 million, $1.5 million more than the Liberals officially pledged. In a statement Mr Billson accused the Labor state government of failing to confirm funding needed “to secure a federal grant” to redevelop the Seaford complex. The Liberal MP said federal funding is “dependent on demonstrating matching funding to show the genuine local support and priority of the project”. “When the Commonwealth department handing the grant process wrote to the Victorian Labor government seeking confirmation that the $4 million state commitment pledged by the Napthine government was still on the table, this confirmation was not forthcoming,” Mr Billson said. When asked by The Times to clarify the funding amount committed by the Napthine government Mr Billson said: “The previous state government committed $2.5 million to the project.
Frankston Council and the Frankston Basketball Association approached that government for an extra $1.5 million, and during discussions were given the impression that extra funding would be provided.” Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke hit back at Mr Billson over the funding claims. “We have committed $2.5 million towards the Frankston Basketball Stadium so this important expansion can begin, but Mr Billson and the Abbott government are yet to commit a cent,” he said. “Instead of misleading the people of Frankston, Mr Billson should do his day job and pressure Tony Abbott to fund this vital project.” Mr Billson admitted “no concerns have been raised with me by Commonwealth officials about the funding application” but claimed “having the rug pulled out from underneath the proponents by the state government dialling back its support for project was a dealbreaker under the funding guidelines”. Mr Edbrooke said Labor “is getting on with upgrading the Frankston Basketball Stadium and won’t be distracted by ignorant commentary by the federal member”. The Frankston District Basketball Association will contribute $1 million to stage 1 of the stadium redevelopment alongside council, state and federal funding. Stage 1 will include the refurbishment of existing facilities and new basketball courts. Neil Walker
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OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Frankston Times 15 June 2015
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