Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, Premier Steve Bracks and Casey mayor Kevin Bradford tour the proposed secondary school site at Timbarra.
By Callan Date
TIMBARRA estate will have a new secondary school regardless of who wins Saturday’s State Election.
Victorian Premier Steve Bracks visited the proposed site on Parkhill Drive with Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan on Tuesday and announced it would fund a secondary school on the site. It will act as a junior campus for Berwick Secondary College and will cater for years seven to nine.
Mr Bracks said the increasing population in the Timbarra estate and surrounding areas had led the Labor Government to announce the new school as part of its $1.9 billion commitment to overhaul every government school over the next 10 years.
“This campus will provide for the growing number of local students in the Timbarra area,” Mr Bracks said. “The City of Casey is at the heart of Melbourne’s fastest-growing corridor and it is important that we provide first-class educational facilities for the future.”
Liberal candidate Mick Morland said this meant a school would be built at Timbarra regardless of which party won the election.
He said the State Liberal Party had pledged to retain the land for the purpose of education and that Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop had visited the site recently to promise to provide the state with funds for a school to cater for years seven to 12.
“We now have a total commitment,” Mr Morland said.
“I’m rapt that Labor, after seven years of trying to sell this land, now realise that the people want this land for education.”
Timbarra Residents’ Association president Brian Miller said he was thrilled with the proposed school.
Mr Miller said he was stunned with the announcement and residents would be delighted with the news.
“It positively makes our two campaigns over the last six years to get a school worthwhile,” he said.
Mr Donnellan said the proposed school was a great outcome.
“We will work closely with the school community to ensure the best possible outcome. It is important that the local community have a say in shaping the new campus,” he said. “If re-elected I will continue to work hard to ensure that local students have access to the best possible learning environments.”
Mr Miller said the younger-aged secondary students were currently travelling to Berwick Secondary College and Kambrya College in Berwick for their education. “It was one of our biggest arguments for the site, for it just to be a campus of the Berwick school,” he said.
