Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has called on the Carroll Labor Government to match her commitment to build a new public secondary school in Kilmore.
Ms Cleeland’s call comes after Labor backflipped on its promise to remove the school zoning barriers facing Kilmore families.
In April, Labor announced that from 2027 Kilmore families would share a school zone and could choose between Broadford Secondary College and Wallan Secondary College. The Labor Government has now backed away from that promise with local families raising the issue directly with Ms Cleeland after being denied choice of enrolment.
Ms Cleeland said the backflip had left families worried and without answers.
“Families came to me because the boundary arrangements were still showing on Find My School. They wanted to know what was actually happening for their children,” Ms Cleeland said.
“I went straight to the Victorian School Building Authority and was told to go through the Minister’s office because Labor has walked away from the promise it made to these families just months ago.”
Ms Cleeland said the backflip exposed Labor’s failure to invest in Broadford Secondary College, which is already under capacity pressure.
“Labor promised to change the boundaries without providing the classrooms to make it work,” she said.
“Broadford has been left to absorb growth it was never resourced for and now that the pressure has come to a head – Labor has dropped the promise instead of fixing the problem.
“That’s why we’ve been calling for investment in Broadford and the Nationals have committed to a new public secondary school in Kilmore. Our region needs both.”
Ms Cleeland said comments from Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes showed that Labor were untrustworthy.
“Jaclyn Symes says she’ll back a Kilmore school when the numbers stack up, then claims there aren’t enough students for both Kilmore and Broadford, which shows just how quickly she’s lost touch with the community she no longer lives in,” Ms Cleeland said.
“So where does she think these students are going to go? Kilmore is growing, Broadford is full and Labor has now closed off the Wallan option.
“That is the circular argument Labor has created for itself.”
Ms Cleeland said the Nationals had already committed to delivering a new public secondary school in Kilmore.
“Kilmore families shouldn’t have to leave their own community to get a public secondary education,” she said.
“I’ve made my commitment. Now I’m calling on Labor to match it.
“Families deserve certainty, a school close to home and a government that plans for growth instead of backflipping when its short-term fixes fall over.”
