The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, has criticised Education Minister Ben Carroll over the Allan Labor Government’s handling of public school infrastructure after he repeatedly dodged basic questions about the condition of Victoria’s public schools during the Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) 2026/27 Budget Hearings.
Ms Benham questioned the Minister and senior officials from the Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA) on how many schools across the state are currently classified as being in poor or very poor condition.
Despite being asked the same question multiple times, neither the Minister nor departmental officials would provide a direct answer, eventually taking the question on notice.
“It should not be this difficult to get a straight answer about the condition of Victorian schools,” Ms Benham said.
Ms Benham also pressed the Victorian Schools Building Authority on how many projects were currently behind schedule and the average length of delays, but said officials again failed to provide clear answers.
“If the Government is proud of its record, it should be willing to answer basic questions about delays, project timelines and the condition of our schools,” Ms Benham said.
Ms Benham pointed to Mildura West Primary School as an example of a regional school being left behind, with some learning spaces requiring chipboard repairs due to termite damage while long-promised upgrades remain incomplete.
“The school has already had two master plans completed, yet only one building has ever been completed,” Ms Benham said.
During the hearing, departmental officials confirmed significant funding had already been spent on maintenance and emergency repairs at the school, prompting Ms Benham to question why the Government continued relying on temporary fixes instead of delivering long-term upgrades.
“Regional students deserve better than excuses, patch-up jobs and a Government more focused on spin than actually fixing the problem,” Ms Benham said.
“The Allan Labor Government has had more than a decade to get this right, but regional schools are still being left behind.”
Video of Ms Benham questioning the Minister can be viewed at Minister for Education – 19th May 2026.
