26 April 2016
The Leader of the Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh has listed the $25m new school redevelopment in Echuca West as his top priority for the upcoming State Budget.
The new school will bring together Echuca Specialist School Echuca South Primary School and Echuca West Primary School onto a single greenfield site.
Mr Walsh said the concept of developing a new education hub on a greenfield site in Echuca has been flagged for more than a decade.
“I am proud to say the Victorian Coalition Government committed to the purchase of the greenfield site in 2012 and in the 2014/15 State Budget allocated $200k in planning money.
“Since that time the three Principals and School Boards have worked consistently to bring their vision to a reality “ Mr Walsh said.
The master plan is now finalised and the schematic plans have been completed and signed off which brings the project to a stage where all we need is the will of the government to provide the funding..
“We have jumped the final hurdle and the community is now looking for the Melbourne Labor Government to honour the Premier’s promise to govern for all Victorians.
“Daniel Andrews has told parents of children with special needs that “their kids are not out of sight and out of mind” and its hard to see how his government can now turn its back on such a critical educational need for very deserving country kids ” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh referred also to the Echuca Moama Bridge and reiterated that the Liberal Nationals Coalition in government committed $96 million for the bridge. The money was built into the Budget forward estimates and confirmed by the Melbourne Labor Government in Budget Paper No 4 of the Victorian State Budget for 2015/16.
“The only thing standing between congestion in Echuca and a solution on the Murray River is the Melbourne Labor Goverrnment finally submitting a business case to the federal government for the Echuca-Moama bridge “ Mr Walsh said.
