EDITORIAL: Talk about tone deaf. State governments just don’t get it – NSW does not represent Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong, as much as the politicians in power seem to think so.
The latest omissions for rural and regional NSW (New South Wales!) are state schools.
The government was this week preaching about its $1.4 billion investment in 21 new and upgraded schools this term.
The premier was on Tuesday due to officially open the $20 million upgrade to Punchbowl Public School. Imagine the occasion if Gunnedah Public was afforded the same amenities. Would the Premier even visit?
Only one school – Moruya – in that list to be upgraded could genuinely be deemed a
country school. With a population of about 5000, the south coast site is the closest to the regional setting. But only 24km to the north is Batemans Bay, population of some 17,000 people.
Meanwhile, Googong is among six locations set to receive a new high school. Although in a semi-rural setting, it lies just over the ACT border. In fact, it’s that close to Australia’s capital, Canberra, it’s only 20km from Parliament House. Hardly rural, let alone remote.
More than half of the 21 schools set to start infrastructure upgrades this term are from the Sydney and metropolitan region.
Let’s get real about wealth distribution and return the upgrades to country areas – it’s the least that governments could do.
