The campaign for a second Tweed Coast high school continues, with NSW state member for Tweed Geoff Provest confident of a visit by the Education Minister before the end of the year.
Mr Provest said he had spoken to the Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli who had given an undertaking that he would visit the Tweed before Christmas.
“We are just trying to work out the dates now,” Provest said. He said he had handed Mr Piccoli the petition from the people of Pottsville, given to him two weeks ago.
While the new Tweed Coast high school is a priority, it will not be the only subject on Mr Piccoli’s agenda.
Mr Provest said he would like to talk to Mr Piccoli about Kingscliff TAFE as well as the overall future plans for education in the Tweed electorate.
“Kingscliff TAFE’s enrolments are increasing and it is obviously going to hit capacity, I would like to set in motion a plan for the future now,” he said.
He said with 1400 youngsters being born in the Tweed this year alone and future developments like Kings Forrest planned for the Tweed Coast, it was important to start looking at what education facilities were needed in the area.
State Labor MP, Mr Walt Secord, who has an Opposition role watching over Tweed issues, asked the State Government in Parliament to honour its commitment to build a high school for the students at Pottsville.
Mr Secord raised the matter in Question Time in State Parliament’s Legislative Council on Thursday, October 20.
Mr Secord asked:
My question without notice is addressed to the Minister for Roads and Ports, representing the Minister for Education. In response to a question on notice answered on 9 September the Department of Education insisted that no commitment had been made to fund a high school for students in Pottsville. How will the Government honour the promise by the member for Tweed to provide a school for the 305 students in Pottsville so that they do not have to travel for more than one hour by bus to attend high school?
In response, Minister for Roads and Ports, Mr Duncan Gay said: “The question is detailed and I will ask the Minister for Education for a detailed answer.
Mr Secord said he asked the question after the Department of Education insisted that there was no promise to create a high school at Pottsville.
“We are talking about more than 300 students from the Pottsville area who have to travel to Kingscliff to go to high school. The community has strong views and believe they deserve their own high school.
“It is also putting real pressure on Kingscliff High School.
“However, the Department of Education has thrown cold water on the plan. It is time for Tweed MP, Mr Geoff Provest, to stand up to the bureaucrats and start delivering for Pottsville,” Mr Secord said.
However Mr Provest said he had been working hard with the community to bring the dream of Pottsville High School into reality but it would be a “long process” and would take more than the seven months that the Liberal National Party had been in Government.
“Mr Secord was a leading advisor in the previous government and they had 15 years and did nothing,” Mr Provest countered.
In addition to his question without notice, Mr Secord asked a series of formal questions on notice to the Minister for Education on Pottsville High School.
Mr Secord to the Minister for Roads and Ports representing the Minister for Education:
1. When will the Government honour its commitment to provide a new high school for the Pottsville area in the Tweed?
2. What is the Government’s timeline to provide a high school in Pottsville?
3. Since 26 March 2011, how much will the Government provide towards the high school?
4. Since 26 March 2011, what planning work has occurred on the high school?
5. How many students from Pottsville currently travel out of the area to other schools?
6. What is the longest trip undertaken by a student?
Answers:
(1) to (4) The Government has not made a commitment to provide a new high school for the Pottsville area in the Tweed. The educational needs of the Tweed are constantly under review by the Department of Education and Communities.
(5) 305 students living in Pottsville attend the local Kingscliff High School. A further 22 students travel out of the area to attend other accessible government schools. The Department of Education & Communities does not hold address data on non-Government school students.
(6) 19.3 kilometres is the longest trip undertaken by a student living in Pottsville and attending Kingscliff High School. This trip takes between 25–30 minutes by local bus.
