Jeni Emmins
WALLAN Secondary College is to receive $200,000 to develop its sporting fields.
State Education Minister Martin Dixon said in Parliament last Thursday that funding for “the first stage of its upgrade” was confirmed.
“…There has been a lot of building in the area over the years as it has grown but sporting facilities have been left wanting,” Mr Dixon said.
“I think the soccer pitch is the thing that the college most desires, and I know it will spend the money well,” Mr Dixon said.
Mr Dixon was responding to Member for Seymour, Cindy McLeish, who asked the Minister to make the funding available “as soon as possible”.
The announcement honours an election promise late last year when Ms McLeish visited the school with Mr Dixon and Member for Northern Victoria Region Donna Petrovich prior to the election.
Acting Principal Mark Ridgeway said the funding commitment was “absolutely fantastic”.
The school plans to set up a soccer field that could be used by students and the wider community, he said.
Mr Ridgeway said the school community had worked hard lobbying for funding and it was hoped work would begin soon.
School council vice president Joeline Shephard said the funding was “great news”.
Ms McLeish said the “need for action on the oval at the northern end of the school was obvious” as the school was “an active building site” and “students' sporting facilities were seriously lacking”.
“It was clearly unable to serve any useful purpose. Bumpy land that is overgrown with weeds makes maintenance difficult, and the oval is an eyesore, not to mention being of very limited use to the students.”






