Premier pledges funding for SW school upgrades

Premier Colin Barnett committed $5.8 million to build a new early childhood centre, four classrooms and an upgraded health centre at South Bunbury Primary School today if the government is re-elected next month.

Mr Barnett said the site needed to be brought up to 21st century standards and if the government was re-elected the upgrades would happen within two years.

“South Bunbury Primary School has a proud history, going back to 1913,” Mr Barnett said.

“I am incredibly pleased to announce this improvement to South Bunbury Primary, that will only happen under a Liberal Government,” Mr Barnett said.

Mr Barnett said Bunbury MLA John Castrilli had advocated for the school upgrades and informed the government of what needed to be done.

Mr Castrilli said he had enjoyed working with the school community in the past two years to work out the needs of the school children and teachers.

“It really needs an upgrade, with over-crowding and run down portable classrooms that is not up to today’s standards,” he said.

“We have worked out the costings and plans which I was then able to put to government, so it is fantastic to see this announcement happen today.”

Tricia Ward has two children who attend the school and she said the upgrades meant programs could be expanded and a bigger investment into early childhood education could happen.

“We’ve got such an amazing teaching staff here and they are limited in the programs they can offer, so these upgrades will be great to support the growth of the school” she said.