EXTRACT FROM
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES
HANSARD

Ms SHING
Eastern Victoria

ADJOURNMENT
Yarragon and Hill End primary school sites

Thursday, 8 June 2017

Yarragon and Hill End primary school sites
Ms SHING (Eastern Victoria) — The matter I wish to raise tonight is for the attention of the Minister for Education, Mr Merlino, in the other place, and relates to two former primary school sites in Gippsland, being Yarragon Primary School at 3–5 Rollo Street, Yarragon, and Hill End Public School on Paynters Road, Hill End. These are very significant sites for both the Hill End and Yarragon communities and have in fact got a very long and proud history of community engagement and use. They are locations which take pride of place and host a number of festivals, events and community gatherings throughout the year. As a consequence of recent processes associated with Baw Baw Shire Council’s initial position that it did not wish to apply for a right of first refusal, there has since been discussion around a potential rezoning of these two sites.
The action I seek from the minister is for him to engage and consult intensively with the community, community groups and representatives who have advocated to me and to my parliamentary colleague Mr Gary Blackwood in the other place on the great value that these two sites have for the community to make sure that any decision taken in relation to the rezoning of the land takes into account the value which is placed upon those two sites for community use and that he does whatever is necessary to make sure that that particular priority is not lost in the midst of processes that are being undertaken by the minister in or in conjunction with the Minister for Planning. So to this end I seek that support, that commitment and that further work to happen to make sure that the voices of the Hill End community and the Yarragon township are foremost in the minds of decision makers and that we have outcomes that properly reflect the importance of these sites to these two important places in Gippsland.