MUSWELLBROOK TAFE will win $1 million from the state government as the Upper Hunter by-election's education pledges continue to roll on.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee joined NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro to announce the cash, which will fund two connected learning classrooms and space for hair, beauty and business training, early on Wednesday.
"Currently hair, beauty and business students have to drive from the main Muswellbrook TAFE campus to attend classes at the council-owned Tertiary Education Centre. This new investment will ensure students can access modern, industry-grade facilities right here at their local campus," Mr Lee said on Wednesday.
"The sale of the Scone site has meant the NSW government can make a far greater investment in TAFE in the Upper Hunter to meet the current and future needs of the community."
It comes weeks after Mr Lee announced the sale of Scone TAFE to Racing NSW for $4 million. The government argues a lease-back arrangement and $3 million for the town's connected learning centre make the deal a winner, but opponents say there is no substitute for a campus.
Labor Upper Hunter candidate Jeff Drayton said the Coalition had been "embarrassed" into making the commitment.
"The strength of community concern over the future of skills training in this region has shamed the Nationals into finally announcing some funds for Muswellbrook TAFE," said Mr Drayton.
"And it's not even new funding for the Upper Hunter - it's the leftovers from the sale of Scone TAFE."
Wednesday's announcement means the full sale price for the Flemington Street site has been allocated to upgrades at Scone and Muswellbrook.
Muswellbrook will also receive $300,000 in equipment including gas welders, extraction fans and auto-mechanical teaching equipment.
Construction will begin later this year and the new equipment is due for delivery by mid-2021.
Mr Lee said the government was also piloting free hospitality training in the Upper Hunter as part of a partnership with the state government; contributing almost $400,000 in training to support drought affected communities in courses such as fencing, chainsaw and driving heavy rigid vehicles; providing more than $100,000 in free training to help locals upskill to support the mining industry and offering free training for 15,000 apprentices across the Central Coast and Hunter.
The pledge comes days after Labor said all Hunter TAFE campuses would remain open if it won government at the next state election.
Shadow Minister for Skills and TAFE Jihad Dib made the pledge at Scone RSL, calling for the NSW Auditor General to look into the Scone land sale.
Mr Lee said Labor's claims they would not sell campuses was "absolutely laughable".
"It was the Labor party that divested 20 sites during their years in government from 1995," Mr Lee said. "It was Labor that sold campuses all over the state and most of them were sold to private purchasers."
He said this included Cessnock, Charlestown, Cootamundra, Woy Woy and Mona Vale.
"Shame on Labor for telling tales of privatisation when they were selling off TAFE's assets to every bidder. While TAFE's were replaced with townhouses under Labor, the NSW Liberal National Government is building and upgrading sites across the state to ensure more people than ever have access to training for jobs."
