Tuesday, 30 August 2022

Ashwood High School bus services

Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (19:03): (6507) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport—what a great minister he is too—and the action I seek is for the minister to join me and my colleague the member for Mount Waverley at Ashwood High School to meet with students and other members of the school community regarding safe, convenient, affordable and efficient transport options to and from school. Ashwood High School is a leading government secondary school, one that I take great pride in representing in this place. This school has always provided its students with exceptional teachers and is a school community that really looks after one another. Ashwood High wants to provide all their students with the best opportunities, and the results speak for themselves.

I would like to bring to your attention the fantastic year 12 efforts of this school. In 2021 the school ranked as a top-10 public school in Victoria, which is a credit to the principal, Dr Brett Moore, the staff and the entire school community. Early this year we were approached by students who are concerned about capacity constraints on the bus that takes students to Oakleigh station via Huntingdale Road after school. The safety of these students is of utmost importance to us because this is the education state and this Labor government believes that every child deserves safe and reliable access to a high-quality education. This government does not just talk the talk when it comes to ambitious public transport reforms, we walk the walk, and we do so with our community behind us. Last Tuesday the member for Mount Waverley and I met with the Ashwood High School student representative council and Principal Moore to listen to their concerns and suggestions, providing us with a stronger understanding of this issue. It is schools like Ashwood High that make me proud to be a part of this Andrews Labor government.

This government knows that these young people are our future, and that is why we are investing to make sure our future is brighter than ever. This potential bus service upgrade forms part of a broader suite of investments in the school. We have committed almost $9.742 million for a new senior STEM and research centre, with work already underway. This comes on top of the $500 000 in funding delivered by the Andrews Labor government as part of the infrastructure planning and acceleration fund, which allowed the school to plan for new and upgraded facilities. But that is not all. Ashwood High School was also successful in their application for the School Shade Sails Fund, a highly competitive grant program which saw more than 1800 schools apply. This funding created extra outdoor learning spaces as well as a place for the students to slip, slop, slap, seek and slide. I look forward to the minister’s response.