May 12, 2015
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has issued a warning to the Melbourne Labor Government to “keep its hands off” federally-funded BER buildings in Gippsland.
The Nationals MP has demanded the Melbourne Labor Government provide a guarantee that no Building the Education Revolution (BER) buildings in Gippsland will be moved and sent back to Melbourne.
It has emerged that the Victorian Department of Education has written to schools, advising them relocatable buildings would be assessed for relocation, to provide extra capacity for schools in growth corridors.
The department has advised principals it would be making on-site assessments of relocatable school buildings in Gippsland.
It is understood this will include assessment of buildings allocated under the federally-funded BER program.
Mr Chester said the Melbourne Labor Government must guarantee it would not take new school buildings out of Gippsland and send them to schools in metropolitan growth corridors.
“We were already ripped off in the first place by the BER program, because Gippsland contractors were prevented from tendering for some buildings and others arrived as portables on the back of trucks,” Mr Chester said.
“Now we are seeing an attempt by the city-centric Labor State Government to take new federally-funded classrooms off schools in Gippsland and truck them back to Melbourne.
“I’ve spoken to principals, school councillors and concerned parents, and our message is clear: ‘Keep your hands off the BER buildings’. The department would not be going down this path of assessing buildings for relocation, if it didn’t think there was a chance it was going to happen.”
Mr Chester urged any schools or school councils in Gippsland with concerns about the proposal to contact his office and he would make representations on their behalf.