State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, is calling on the new Education Minister to immediately fix the school maintenance backlog as local children are forced to return to dilapidated classrooms.
Documents obtained by the Labor Opposition have revealed the school maintenance backlog in NSW is already over $775 million.
In the Wallsend electorate there are 24 schools with outstanding maintenance requests totaling almost $10 million.
The data shows that Glendale Technology High has more than $1.1 million and Waratah West Public School with almost $750,000 in outstanding maintenance requests.
Everything from toilet block upgrades, carpet replacements, fixing damaged roofs, to replacing windows have been put on hold.
The extent of the school maintenance backlog has uncovered an appalling failure by the Liberal-National Government to deliver high quality classrooms and education facilities in the Wallsend electorate.
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“If the new Minister wants to make a name for himself, he can start right away and commit to fixing our schools in Wallsend.”
“I was hoping that things would have improved in our schools but the backlog has grown.”
“The western suburbs need a commitment from the Minister on basic infrastructure, including a committed plan to address the maintenance backlog at local schools.”
“It might not be flashy, but it’s absolutely necessary. Just ask any local kid who has to try to learn while his or her classroom is a refrigerator in July or a sauna in February.”
“Our children deserve the best possible education, and that means providing the best possible learning environment.”
“The Minister must act on this backlog immediately.”