Wednesday, 29 May 2024

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (17:23): (917) My matter is for the attention of the minister for tertiary education or skills and so forth these days, a minister who is not in the chamber today, and I understand that fully. But I do make some points here about Melbourne Polytechnic, which is an important campus inside the electorate that Ms Crozier and I represent, in the Prahran electorate. It is a very important facility, and it has been in limbo significantly for a number of years under this government. The government has not been able to make a final decision on the way forward in terms of managing the future of the Melbourne Polytechnic site and how that should be best used in the interests of Victorians and in particular in the interests of tertiary education.

One of the largest footprints on the campus now is the Patrick School of the Arts, which teaches dance and all of the arts related to many of these areas that are so important for our state going forward. That has been a long-term tenant; it is a private body, but it rents from Melbourne Polytechnic. The government’s indecision, the government’s fluffing, the government’s uncertainty has led to a terrible situation. I am going to quote from Todd Patrick’s email to me today:

… Melbourne Polytechnic on behalf of the department has offered me a 3 year lease plus 1 plus 1. Melbourne Polytechnic has been given a secured 5 year lease, at the absolute minimum, that’s what we would be wanting.

A private business like his, which is investing, which is wanting to expand and which is wanting to do more, needs the predictability and certainty of a long and clear lease.

A few weeks ago a representative of the department told me it was going to be 7 years, then a few weeks later I’m offered 3 and now yesterday, Melbourne Polytechnic was telling me they were instructed by government to only offer me 3 +1+1 but a representative of Gayle Tierneys office, told me on the phone that that was actually Melbourne Polytechnics choice.

Indeed, they went further – they indicated that the minister’s office had said they should have five years. Mr Patrick said to me:

I have no idea who to believe out of the two of them.

Ultimately, I now have one of the largest footprints on campus, I’m not asking for money, I just need a secured long term lease for the continued arts education, for my secondary school and tertiary programs.

It is a unique school that fills a very important void in education. It is actually a private facility, but it complements secondary school and it complements the Melbourne Polytechnic offerings as well. So what I want the minister to do is to intervene and to ensure that a five-year minimum lease is offered to Mr Patrick. It is not suitable to leave a private business that is so important hanging like this. The uncertainty in the future of Melbourne Polytechnic needs to be cleaned up.