NEWCASTLE Education Campus has received $5.6 million in the state budget, a slice of the estimated $50 to $80 million the government has said the project will cost.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp welcomed Tuesday's confirmation of the amount of funds allocated to "commence works" on Newcastle Education Campus, which is a new name for the controversial Newcastle Education Precinct originally announced in 2018 as including an upgrade of Newcastle High and a new primary school.
The Newcastle Herald asked the Department of Education what options were outlined in the business case, when the masterplan with the full scope of works would be released and if there was a contract out for tender, but didn't receive a response by deadline.
"It's taken three years to get to this, but I'm glad that shining such a light on the go-slow has seen some funding arrive," Mr Crakanthorp said.
"I am still concerned about what the government is foreshadowing in this change from a 'precinct' to a 'campus' and just what an allocation of $5.6 million will enable.
"I very much hope that this is only the beginning of serious spending on this educational facility.
"The government talked a big game when they announced this in the lead-up to an election, and it's well and truly time that they delivered."
IN BUDGET NEWS:
- A full list of the state budget highlights for the Hunter
- How the Hunter fared in the NSW budget
- NSW budget 'with a heart' forecasts four-year turnaround
- NSW COVID bill hits $4b with more to come
- Mice money among regional NSW budget spend
As previously reported in the Herald, a department briefing for Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell dated November 2020 said service need reports showed "a clear requirement for an upgrade to Newcastle High School (demand and asset driven) however there is limited justification, based on demand, for a new primary school".
"Given the announcement by the government was for the establishment of a new educational precinct, a number of options have been identified to address this requirement," it said.
Including an integrated senior school for specific purpose on the Newcastle High site was the preferred option.
The briefing said between $50 and $80 million would be required for the precinct, while delivering a primary and high school would "well exceed $100 million".
The budget also included a $3.3 million upgrade of Muswellbrook South Public, $1.9 million for Hunter River High and $1.6 million for Irrawang High.
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said it was still not clear exactly what the funds were for.
"They've got these secret business cases that they won't share with community," she said.
"Any of the information we've got from the government shows that the upgrades are really a plan to expand those schools to squeeze more students in, to get them off the hook of ever delivering a public high school in Medowie."
Ms Washington said the upgrades were desperately needed.
"But, I was looking, the renovation that happened at Hunter Sports High School was $40 million.
"So I don't know what the amount allocated provides, but I suspect they are not upgrading existing infrastructure, that they are adding classrooms just to squeeze more students in, so I do not think they're going to get much for that."
The budget also contained $1 million for the second phase of design and construction of a multi-trades workshop and storage facility at TAFE NSW's Connected Learning Centre at Scone.
There was also $11.4 million to complete or continue construction of Connected Learning Centres in seven regional locations, including Tomaree.
