TERMITE-INFESTED classrooms at Bonbeach Primary School will be demolished and replaced as part of a rebuild of the school.
Victorian Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino visited the school last week to announce $6.3 million in funding to build a new main school building.
The announcement by the Labor state government comes after some families complained about pupils been taught in staff rooms since crumbling classrooms were closed by the school (“Storm over termite trouble”, The News 28/2/18).
Carrum Labor MP Sonya Kilkenny welcomed the decision to rebuild the school in the electorate.
“This has been quite a journey with many conversations and meetings over months and months,” Ms Kilkenny said in a statement.
“I took this issue directly to the Minister for Education so I am absolutely thrilled that we have acted to ensure that local students at Bonbeach Primary School will finally get the wonderful new learning facilities and classrooms they deserve.”
About $120,000 will be provided in the short term to repair termite damage in classrooms before the rebuild begins. Repairs are scheduled to be finished by mid-year.
The school will be rebuilt by about the middle of 2019 after designs are agreed and a tender process to find a commercial builder for the project.
The Liberal Party’s candidate for Carrum at this November’s state election Donna Bauer said the opposition will honour the commitment to rebuild the school if elected.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 21 March 2018
