Victoria mulls construction blitz to create thousands of jobs

Office of Enver Erdogan MP
Member for Southern Metropolitan Region

The Victorian Government will fix old buildings, deliver extra classrooms and build ten brand new schools in a state-wide construction blitz that will create thousands of jobs across the state and kickstart Victoria’s economy.

Member for Southern Metropolitan Enver Erdogan today announced Kew High School and Sandringham College will share in $388.8 million for 57 upgrade and modernisation projects at schools across Victoria. This includes all school upgrades the Victorian Government committed to at the 2018 election.

In addition to the $1.08 million received in the 2019-20 State Budget, the Victorian Government is providing $9.76 million for the next stage of the major upgrade at Kew High School, which includes construction of a new two-level STEM building including an Enquiry and Research Learning Centre.

$10 million will be invested to upgrade and modernise the Holloway Road Campus of Sandringham College, including a new gymnasium, new music facilities, canteen and amenities.

Mr Erdogan also announced Beaumaris Secondary College would share in an investment of $438.6 million to help build ten new schools and deliver a further four stages of new school projects to open in 2022 across the state.

In addition to the $26.8 million in previous funding, Beaumaris Secondary College will receive a further $18.97 million to deliver Stage 2, which will increase the school’s capacity from 650 to 1,100 students upon completion. This stage will open in 2022.

These projects are part of the Victorian Government’s Building Works package, which will deliver $2.7 billion in shovel-ready projects – big and small – to get thousands of people back to work across our state.

The package includes a $1.18 billion education building program will also build new schools, deliver and refurbish relocatable classrooms and make schools more accessible for students and staff with disabilities.

Together, the projects will create space for more than 21,000 extra students in Victoria’s education system and create more than 1,600 local construction jobs in communities across Victoria.

This $1.18 billion education building program is in addition to the $6.1 billion invested by the Victorian Government on delivering school upgrades since 2014, supporting more than 7,500 construction jobs for Victorians.

The Victorian Government is building the Education State so everyone can get a great education, no matter their background or where they live.

As stated by Member for Southern Metropolitan Enver Erdogan:

“We are investing record funding in our schools to make Victoria the Education State.”

“The ideas and lessons that start inside a classroom are all the more successful when developed within buildings that reflect modern learning environments.”

“Just as we’re facing an unprecedented health challenge, we’re facing an unprecedented economic challenge too. This project will support Victorian jobs in our construction industry.”

/Public Release. View in full here.