NORTHERN SUBURBS EDITION
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024
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■ Northcote MLA Kat Theophanous has told State Parliament that the Government has a strong program of development in place for the northern suburbs. “My heart was bursting full visiting Thornbury High with the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and the member for Cranbourne, where we got to see students participating in a homework club after hours at the school as part of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan,” Ms Theophanous told the Legislative Assembly. “This program has been funded with another $17 million in the budget to continue to deliver hands-on tutoring and support and has already helped over 1350 students in the last three years. “I can say the students at Thornbury are absolutely thriving, and it was a joy to see their enthusiasm for learning. “We are investing a further $21.8 million for psychologists, speech pathologists and social workers, $6.3 million for the primary school nursing program and $13.9 million to deliver mental health care in our schools – that is critically important. “Of course I cannot speak to education without sharing the incredibly exciting news that Thornbury Primary School in my electorate has secured $17.6 million in this budget for a major modernisation – an election promise I was proud to take to my community in 2022. “It was an absolute delight to share this news with principal David Wells, with the school and with the many families who have worked closely with me over the last two years to bring that vision to life. “I have spoken many times in my role as the member for Northcote about schools and my mission to upgrade our local schools across the inner north. “In recent months across our suburbs in the inner north am very proud to say that we have seen Westgarth Primary turn the sod on its major upgrade, Northcote High has almost finished work on a new STEM centre and Bell Primary will soon open its new gym, building on the recently completed projects at Croxton School, Thornbury High and Preston South Primary. “There is certainly more to do; we have some pretty old infrastructure in Northcote. But I am committed to keeping the momentum going, and this announcement for Thornbury Primary is part of that whole-of-community work to uplift our suburbs and set them up for the future. “Another aspect of the state budget I want to highlight today is what we are doing to help Victorians into safe and secure housing. “This is something I will always fight for. I will always back in local housing projects in the
● Kat Theophanous, Northcote MLA inner north and our Labor Government’s work to build more social and affordable homes to support first home buyers and to make renting fairer. “I am pleased to say this budget continues to deliver on our landmark reforms in housing, with our $5.3 billion Big Housing Build. “The budget continues that with $700 million to extend the Victorian Homebuyer Fund, another $107 million to progress our ambitious housing agenda and a further $19 million to improve response times for repairs and maintenance in public housing. “On the ground in Northcote we are realising the tangible benefits of the government’s investment into social and affordable homes. “Just last month I joined the Premier and the Minister for Housing to open 99 new social homes on Oakover Road in Preston, which will house up to 140 people in the heart of the inner north. “The project has replaced 26 single-storey dwellings that were no longer fit for purpose with 296 homes in total, which includes the social homes, affordable Nightingale homes and market homes which were made available to first home buyers in an exclusive access period. “These homes are exactly what Victoria needs right now, minutes away from the Mernda train line and the number 11 tramline straight to the CBD and close to shops, schools and parks. “The new homes meet the gold livable housing design standards. They are all electric, with 5-star Green Star and 7-star average nationwide house energy rating scheme ratings.”
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