Hansard debates

Ms VICTORIA (Bayswater) — (12 301) I rise to ask the Minister for Education to take immediate action to secure the former Wantirna Heights school site in Kingloch Parade, Wantirna, and pay a visit there with me.

After the Liberal-Nationals coalition built the new P–12 Eastern Ranges School to give specialised education to children with autism, the standard program for assessing whether the disused site would be retained took place. The site was declared surplus to the Department of Education and Training's needs. The process was then for the buildings and land to be offered to Victorian government departments or, if it was not needed or suitable for their needs, it would be offered to Knox City Council. If Knox did not want it for community purposes, then it would be offered by tender for other purposes — for example, for housing development.

In 2014 the site was known to be no longer needed by the education department. In August and October 2015 I brought up the future use and the deteriorating state of the buildings and grounds, here in this very chamber. I note from the minister's response to one of my adjournment matters, on 15 September 2015, that, when I talked about security, he said:

… I have asked the department to review security measures at the site.

The minister also said:

The Department of Education and Training is currently reviewing the status of the site to determine its potential for future educational requirements, and I will make a decision on its future once this review has been completed.

We know now that that in fact had been completed and it has been declared surplus.

I read now that the department intends to demolish these solid buildings, which were built very strongly to stop further vandalism. This is exactly what happened at the old Mount View campus at Boronia, a school the minister knew only too well, given that it was within the former boundaries of his electorate. In that case literally millions of dollars of state taxpayers assets were razed because he could not keep the site safe, cutting power and therefore the security system; he was told by me, the community and the media. It would have been perfect to convert the solid brick buildings into an aged-care facility or a similar worthwhile development.

The Wantirna Heights school buildings are equally robust and perfectly suited to usage by a community organisation such as Knox U3A, which has hundreds upon hundreds of over-50s eager to expand their knowledge and which has outgrown its current location. I implore the minister to visit the site with me before he orders the bulldozers to demolish these perfectly sound buildings and to see for himself what a disgrace it would be for history to repeat itself because of a lack of management and forward thinking.