Debacle: Gayle Tierney outside Torquay College this week.
By Erin Pearson
TORQUAY College secondary students are sweating in portable classrooms without air-conditioners while waiting for State Government to deliver a new standalone high school, according to a Labor MP.
Member Western Victoria Region Gayle Tierney raised in parliament last week the “utterly disgraceful” conditions at Torquay.
“For every day the Government fails to fulfill its promise, major impacts are being felt on the campus,” Ms Tierney said.
“Because of the staggered lunch and recess times, students in physical education classes are forced to share sports grounds with students on their lunch and recess breaks. Because of substandard power, a set of portable classrooms was without air-conditioning.
“After 15 months of complete and utter debacle by the Baillieu Government on the new Torquay secondary school, the community’s question of when (its) new school will be ready continues to remain unanswered.”
Liberal South Barwon MP Andrew Katos announced in May that the Government would provide Torquay with its “largest ever” education investment on a new secondary college and land for a second state primary school.
Torquay College council vice president David Bell said the Government made an offer last week to buy land for the secondary school.
“An announcement on the new school is imminent,” he said.
Mr Katos had not responded to the Independent’s request for comment before the paper went to press on Wednesday afternoon.
