2006-07 Victorian State Budget: $448 Million Construction and Equipment Program for Schools and TAFE
The Bracks Government’s $448 million school and TAFE construction and equipment program includes the allocation of the first $100 million of the Building Tomorrow’s Schools Today program, from the future sale proceeds of the Snowy Hydro Limited. Initiatives include:
$50.2 Million to Build New and Replacement Schools
The following new and replacement schools will be built to meet the needs of growing communities:
- Mill Park Lakes Specialist School
- Pakenham South Primary School
- Point Cook Senior Secondary College (Years 10–12) – Stage 1
- Laurimar Primary School
- Epping North East Primary School
- Tarneit School (Stage 2)
- Mill Park Lakes Secondary College (Stage 2)
- Newcomb Secondary College (Stage 2)
- Traralgon Secondary College East campus (Stage 3)
$115.4 Million to Improve and Upgrade Schools Accross Victoria
This funding will modernise and upgrade school teaching facilities at a minimum of 33 schools including libraries, music and art centres and information technology centres. It will also be used to upgrade amenities for students and staff including canteens, change rooms and administration areas.
$58 Million School Land Purchasing Program
The Bracks Government will allocate $58 million to purchase land in the State’s fastest growing areas to meet education needs into the future.
$21 Million to Upgrade TAFE Teaching Facilities
The Budget allocates $10 million for a state-of-the-art centre at Swinburne University’s Wantirna campus for training in sustainability and environmental design.
An allocation of $11 million will enable South West Institute of TAFE to complete the final stage of its redevelopment of the Warrnambool campus. This will include state-of-the-art IT laboratories, classrooms and visual arts facilities.
$9.3 Million to Drive Excellence Through Specialisation in Secondary Schools
Funding was provided under the Leading Schools Fund.
The Leading Schools Fund provides a unique opportunity for groups of schools in a community to link together to improve students’ outcomes.
The funding has been used to drive specialisation through building new facilities for educational programs in areas such as science and technology, arts, design, music, languages and sport.
$32 Million for Technical Education Centres (TECS)
New Technical Education Centres, including at Ballarat, Wangaratta, Berwick and Heidelberg, will be created as announced in the Maintaining the Advantage: Skilled Victorians skills statement.
The TECs will be new senior secondary campuses that will each cater for up to 300 students interested in taking up a trade. They will be linked to local TAFE institutes and provide Years 10, 11 and 12 students with a range of vocational programs.
They will offer programs including the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships and traineeships.
$48 Million for TAFE Equipment
Also announced in the skills statement Maintaining the Advantage, $48 million will fund teaching equipment at TAFE institutes across Victoria.
$5.1 Million for a New Academic Number
The initiative will ensure that basic enrolment details for all Victorian students are brought together in a streamlined system, ensuring critical information is not lost when students transfer from school to school or from school to TAFE or other training organisations.
$9 Million for New Computers
The Budget will also provide an additional $9 million for government schools to purchase new computers and equipment.
The Government is investing in the latest equipment to ensure Victorian schools remain at the forefront of technology.
This program is part of a record investment to ensure that students are equipped with the skills they need to be part of the workforce of the future.
This investment complements the Bracks Government’s $89.3 million VicSmart broadband initiative, which is providing every Victorian government school with fibre optic broadband.