Friday, March 23, 2012
A Star News Group publication
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Students sweat on new school in ‘disgraceful’ conditions BY ERIN PEARSON TORQUAY College secondary students are sweating in portable classrooms without air-conditioners while waiting for State Government to deliver a new standalone high school, according to a Labor MP. Member Western Victoria Region Gayle Tierney raised in parliament last week the “utterly disgraceful” conditions at Torquay. “For every day the Government fails to fulfill its promise, major impacts are being felt on the campus,” Ms Tierney said. “Because of the staggered lunch and recess times, students in physical education classes are forced to share sports grounds with students on their lunch and recess breaks. Because of substandard power, a set of portable classrooms was without air-conditioning. “After 15 months of complete and utter debacle by the Baillieu Government on the new Torquay secondary school, the community’s question of when (its) new school will be ready continues to remain unanswered.” Liberal South Barwon MP Andrew Katos announced in May that the Government would provide Torquay with its “largest ever” education investment on a new secondary college and land for a second state primary school. Torquay College council vice president David Bell said the Government made an offer last week to buy land for the secondary school. “An announcement on the new school is imminent,” he said. Mr Katos had not responded to the Independent’s request for comment before the paper went to press on Wednesday afternoon.
JACKSON’S PLAYING IT FOR LAUGHS PAGE 11
Debacle: Gayle Tierney outside Torquay College this week.
Picture: Tommy Ritchie
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‘No say’ for tours BY ERIN PEARSON SURF Coast Shire failed to consult tour operators before announcing plans to kick buses out of Bells Beach Surfing Reserve, according to an industry representative. Go West Bus Tour managing director Terry Smit said 40 per cent of his tours visited Bells but the shire only contacted him after revealing the buses plan last week. Tourism industry operators wanted “mutually beneficial” facilities for buses and surfers, he said.
Bells ban surprises bus operators Tour operators were even willing to pay for access if the shire fixed the reserve’s “unreliable” toilet block, he said. “I’m aware there has been an amount of agitation from surfers but I don’t think the coordination of discussion has been the way it should be. “Any dislocation of our ability to visit Bells Beach would be undesirable. Buses parking 15 minutes down the road or in town isn’t viable.”
Mr Smit said operators would be happy to park in the eastern side of the reserve out of the existing area for buses if the shire provided facilities. He defended his passengers against perceptions they were “bloodsucking non-contributors to the local community”. They simply wanted to enjoy the beauty of the reserve, he said. The shire began digging up bitumen and vegetation to
improve parking bays for six coaches late last month. Bells Beach Preservation Society President Maurice Cole said the shire had stonewalled both surfers and tourism operators. “There has been little or no community consultation,” he said. “The new parking arrangements installed the other week cost around $70,000 and just weeks later the shire is saying
it’s considering removing buses from the reserve. What a waste of money.” Barrister and former Bells Beach advisory committee member Andrew Dickenson was concerned the shire was rushing through changes to its Bells Beach master plan. He believed the shire wanted the issue out of the spotlight before Easter’s Rip Curl Pro. Mr Dickenson urged the shire to deal with the issues “properly”. Surf Coast Shire refuses to answer questions from the Independent.
WHAT’S HOT FOR ‘GEEKS’ THIS WEEK PAGE 22
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