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Blacktown Education Infrastructure Spending

Published on: September 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-127238

Blacktown Education Infrastructure Spending

Mr STEPHEN BALI (Blacktown) (22:44:48):

In my last private member's statement I spoke on the inequity and atrocious distribution of education infrastructure spending, which is significantly skewed to the northern suburbs to the detriment of western Sydney, and particularly the electorate of Blacktown. According to the budget papers, by electorate, during the 12 years of this Government zero additional dollars was provided to the electorate of Blacktown from the education infrastructure budget—yes, zero. But the electorate of North Shore received approximately $150 million, which has resulted in substantial rebuilds and upgrades to various schools across the North Shore for administration blocks, science labs, performing arts centres, toilet blocks, food technology rooms, storage rooms, replacement of demountable classrooms, covered outdoor learning spaces and staff rooms.

As the local member said, the Government is "making sure we are responding to population growth". I also note that residential properties have been purchased to expand green school space. Meanwhile in the electorates of Riverstone and Blacktown, school sites are being sold off, yet the population is growing massively in real terms in the City of Blacktown. The budget seems to be unfairly balanced towards Liberal electorates, with a view to selling school sites in Blacktown and Riverstone and using asset recycling to redistribute that funding to the North Shore. The Government has starved the electorate of Blacktown of any funding for upgrades so that hundreds of millions of dollars can be spent across the northern suburbs of Sydney. The Government talks about the value of education and the fact that it is an opportunity for children to improve, but the Liberal Government selects the postcodes and electorates that it spends its money on. This is an absolute disgrace. Liberals and Nationals members ought to hang their heads in shame.

Even Taronga Zoo received $113 million from the Government to improve the visitor experience. To put that in perspective, the new Sydney Zoo, which is located in the Blacktown area, cost $50 million through private investment. So $113 million was spent to improve the visitor experience at a government zoo, but not a single cent was spent to address school toilets in the Blacktown area, where many of the schools are now aged in excess of 60 years. Over $150 million was spent to improve schools in the North Shore, but nothing was spent to ensure that asbestos was removed from schools in Blacktown. The Government has purchased new school sites in the North Shore and expanded existing school footprints to accommodate population growth of only 20 per cent of the growth that Blacktown is experiencing, yet sites in the Blacktown city area are being sold.

I agree with the member for Pittwater, the Minister for Cities, who said in question time today that "the people of New South Wales deserve better". I would take that one step further and say that the people of Blacktown deserve better. Discussions with teachers across Blacktown have also raised concerns about teacher shortages. It is not unusual for 20 per cent of classes to not have a regular teacher present. It is clearly concerning that there are not enough casual replacement teachers available to cover those classes. Many of those students are shared across other classes or year groups or placed in the library with their workbooks. Schools have reported that some students are up to their sixth workbook. So we get no facility upgrades and teacher shortages are wreaking havoc on student learning. How can a student in the electorate of Blacktown have any chance of fulfilling their full potential?

We have wonderfully committed teachers, and many are starting at five in the morning and often working back until 10 at night. The teacher shortage has resulted in support classes being cancelled from time to time and requiring students to be placed in other classes. That disrupts students with autism, causing significant difficulties in maintaining consistency in their learning development. Having larger classes with students who need assistance in their learning also places additional strain on teachers. It is great to see electorates getting additional funding but we need fairness and equity across the State, not just the favouring of some electorates.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (22:49:56):

I put on record my disappointment with the member for Blacktown's commentary, because when we look at the facts, the Labor Government closed 90 schools across New South Wales—

Mr Stephen Bali:

The facts are we got zero.

Ms FELICITY WILSON:

I was silent for your contribution. You could show me the same respect. The Labor Government closed 90 schools across New South Wales—1,000 or more classrooms—while this Government, the Liberal Government, has invested in 200 new and upgraded schools.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER:

Order! The member has a right to reply.

Ms FELICITY WILSON:

While members opposite make dishonest slurs against our education system and the record investment that this Government has put on the table for students across New South Wales, we will remember that Labor closed 90 schools for our students, including in my own community, and more than 1,000 classrooms were closed. I note that the member for Blacktown—

Mr Stephen Bali:

How much have you put into Blacktown? Zero—$150 million versus zero. You're a disgrace.

Ms FELICITY WILSON:

I ask that the member for Blacktown withdraw that comment.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER:

Member for Blacktown, the member has asked you to withdraw the comment.

Mr Stephen Bali:

No.