Premier inspects school upgrades

Cranbourne Secondary College sports captain Juliana Utuva leads Premier Daniel Andrews and Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards on a tour of the school. 283928_01 Pictures: MARCUS UHE

Students in Cranbourne are just weeks away from having the modern sporting and learning facilities, thanks to an investment from the State Government in Cranbourne Secondary College.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards were given a tour of the College by principal David Caughey and sports captain Juliana Utuva on Wednesday 1 June to view the new gym and refurbished performing arts centre which will be completed in the coming weeks.

This $6.6 million project will give the growing school world-class performing arts facilities as well as a new double-court gymnasium.

“With a new gym and upgraded performing arts centre, we’re investing in the facilities Cranbourne students deserve – making sure there’s something for every student’s talents and passions,” the Premier said.

This project comes on top of an additional $10 million Labor Government investment to deliver a major upgrade to the school – with a new visual arts facility, refurbished science and technology wing, wellbeing area and careers area, and extensive landscaping to support outdoor learning.

Following the tour, the Premier indulged in a morning tea, with a barbecue, scones and Anzac biscuits prepared by VET hospitality students, using Indigenous Australian ingredients grown in the school kitchen’s garden, such as Warragul greens, native pepper berries, native thyme and lemon myrtle.

He was also welcomed to the school’s Indigenous garden, where Indigenous students Lauren Gittens, Robert Gittens and Hayden Cooper performed a Welcome to Country.

Earlier in the morning, the Premier was joined by Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas in a tour of Hampton Park Secondary School’s own upgrade project.

The school is in stage two of its upgrade and modernisation project, which is creating a new world-class science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) and fabrication facility.

The upgrades, which were enabled by $3.9 million investment from the 2019/20 budget, are expected to be completed by July.

Mr Andrews said the Labor Government wanted to make sure the school’s facilities match the world class education its dedicated staff provide.

The Government is ahead of schedule in its work to deliver 100 new schools between 2019 and 2026, with 75 new schools opening between 2019 and 2024.

For more information on this and past projects at Cranbourne Secondary College, visit schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/cranbourne-secondary-college