Maitland state MP Jenny Aitchison will host a community meeting to hear from concerned parents about significant infrastructure issues at Gillieston Public School.
The local member, who delivered a Notice of Motion and Private Members Statement about the educational facility’s woes in the NSW Parliament last week, is scheduled to speak with angry residents at Judd Greedy Park, Gillieston Heights, on Saturday 20 November from 10.30am.
She also extended an invitation to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell to attend the get-together.
Unfortunately, both are unable to appear on the weekend.
“Minister Mitchell is aware of the matters,” Ms Aitchison said.
“Her office has promised to seek an urgent response from her department, addressing all the issues raised on Saturday.”
Gillieston Heights is one of the fastest-growing areas in Maitland, yet its primary school is suffering serious neglect at the hands of the current government, according to Ms Aitchison.
“It’s under significant pressure due to the rapidly growing housing developments,” she said.
“The government must make upgrades a priority.
“It’s simply not good enough that more than 260 local Maitland children are learning in a school with only two permanent buildings.
“I have been campaigning for many years for the NSW Government to take urgent action to upgrade Gillieston Public.
“When I was first elected in 2015, there was still a dirt floor in the boys’ ablutions block, and the school is still not connected to town sewer.
“It’s simply unacceptable.
“Students and teachers deserve to be learning and teaching in 21st century permanent, flexible and innovative learning spaces.
“The fences are too low, the hall is too small and has no air-conditioning, and parents of pupils with mobility issues still can’t access some of the buildings.
“Two permanent buildings, nine and about to be 10 demountable buildings, dumped on an ever-diminishing play space, are just some of the examples of how this school is no longer fit for purpose.
“There’s also another development going across the other side of Ryan’s Road, when the existing roads can barely cope with the student load now.
“We need an urgent rebuild on this site.
“It’s only through working together as a community that we will be able to get the Minister to provide funding for these upgrades.”
Ms Aitchison is asking everyone to share their feedback with her by emailing [email protected]
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