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FRIDAY, May 10, 2024
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$1.2M COST: WORTH IT FOR COMMUNITY SAYS MAYOR
STARS SHINING BRIGHT Aladdin (Elliott McPhee), Princess Jasmine (Charley Miller), Prince Ali (Spencer Hayward), Abu (Lucy Sinclair) and Genie (Eve Blackall) are ready for opening night of Aladdin at Galen Performing Arts Centre next Wednesday, May 15. Full story page 2 PHOTO: Jordan Duursma
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LIFELONG LEARNER TURNS 90
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BELLA OFF TO JUNIOR WORLD C’SHIPS
BUDGET BLOW Sport
High g school has to wait for $ $11.7m;; no cash for major j road;; regional g spend p down
WANGARATTA High School will again have to wait for its promised $11.7 million for classroom modification upgrades, with the 2024/25 State Budget overlooking the city’s major public school. WHS executive principal Dave Armstrong received confirmation that the school, which more than
BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au
600 students, remains fully funded to have stage one of its masterplan designed and documented, but the money for the actual building works will not be funded yet. The money was promised
before the 2022 state election, however, as time passes and the cost of goods and services rise, Mr Armstrong said he was concerned that what will be built when the tender is awarded, probably will not equal what could have been achieved several years before. The school was one of 54 schools in the previous budget to share in the $20m School
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“We’re really hopeful of receiving the funding next budget because we’ve done a lot of great work with consultants GHD to plan for the new junior and senior school buildings. “The masterplan has been completed and we’re getting towards the final schematic designs for stage one of the plans and when
Upgrades Delivery Fund to create a masterplan, however, it was announced in the budget that WHS was one of 29 to miss out on the 2024/25 capital works allocation. “It was disappointing news, but not unexpected given the recent signaling from government about the Victorian fiscal situation,” Mr Armstrong said.
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the money comes it will be off the shelf and out to tender immediately.” Along with the building modernisation works, Mr Armstrong said some external landscaping site improvements will be carried out to focus on “the most welcoming and engaging school campus you can possibly have”. ■ Continued page 2