Page 2260 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
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This centennial year budget is clearly about building on the achievements of our city and launching us into the next century. Ensuring our next generations receive the best education has been one of the hallmarks of this government and is essential for the future prosperity of Canberra. The total education budget this year is almost $900 million, including new funding for government and non-government schools to support the introduction of the national education reform agreement.
The Chief Minister has recently signed on to the national education reform package, building on the Gonski review to provide better, fairer, needs-based support for all ACT students. The government has supported this initiative with $34 million over four years in the budget. The national education reform agreement, along with the national disability insurance scheme, the NDIS, will ensure a much better future for some of our most disadvantaged students, as will disability access and special needs transport initiatives.
Specifically in Belconnen, I am proud the government is honouring our election commitment to modernise the ageing Belconnen High School. This is one of Belconnen’s oldest and most central high schools, in Hawker. Two million dollars in this budget is for stage 1 of this upgrade that will eventually see new buildings and major refurbishments to renew existing buildings. Nearby, Canberra High School in Macquarie will have major work to upgrade its roof, while the Macquarie Primary School staffroom will be refurbished to modern standards and the school will receive a fence.
The Mount Rogers Primary School classrooms will be renovated and upgraded and the school and students will also be protected, with new security fencing. The expansion of Macgregor Primary School to allow for students from west Macgregor development is also funded in this budget.
Schools throughout Ginninderra will benefit from the continued rollout of programs to upgrade traffic safety in car parks, improve sustainability through solar panels, better glazing and lighting, improve electronic security systems, encourage healthier choices through the provision of water refill stations, support P&C-run canteens and provide support for our teachers’ professional development through the Teacher Quality Institute. Other initiatives will improve access to preschool through the preschool matters program and through capital upgrades.
CIT Bruce campus is a very important part of the education mix in Ginninderra. Capital upgrades for CIT Bruce include upgrades for solar, fire alarms, security, fire and building management systems and better signage.
This budget sees major investments in the University of Canberra at Bruce, including over $8 million for the design of the University of Canberra public hospital. Not only will this new hospital provide a greater range of patient care in north Canberra, along with training and research opportunities integrated with the University of Canberra, but also the hospital will become another major employer in north Canberra. It will also fit well with the enhanced services provided by north Canberra’s major hospital nearby at Calvary, but I will discuss those later.
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