Hi, I’m Kat Theophanous - the Labor Member of Parliament for Northcote in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
Hi, I’m Kat Theophanous - the Labor Member of Parliament for Northcote in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
I have incredible update to share – Westgarth Primary is getting a major school upgrade!
And… it’s even better than we expected.
The State Labor Government has allocated $12.97 million in the State Budget
to upgrade Westgarth Primary!
This is a massive investment. It’s well beyond what we hoped to secure, and it will well and truly allow us to dream big for this amazing local school.
With almost $13 million in funding, we will develop a comprehensive masterplan for the future of Westgarth Primary. We’ll replace aging portables with a new building that has modern, flexible and accessible classrooms. And we’ll build a new full sized, competition grade gymnasium!
I am immensely grateful for the support of hundreds of parents, carers, students and teachers who voiced their support, walked out our petitions, filmed an amazing student video, crafted a compelling submission and made countless other contributions.
Over 520 parents, carers and supporters signed this petition in support of my push for this funding, and our students created their own petition garnering 460 signatures. Your voices were incredibly powerful.
I also want to say a very special thank you to Principal Jo Wheeler, School Council President Jacob Spencer, and Westgarth Redevelopment Group reps Mel Wheeler, Matt Bridges and Allison Cox.
Now, we have the funds to build something truly remarkable at Westgarth Primary which will benefit students for generations to come.
Thank you once again for all your support – and congratulations.
Kat
COMMUNITY PETITION
From day one, upgrading our local schools has been a priority for me.
Together with passionate locals, I’ve pushed for more and improved facilities to get our schools up to scratch and make sure our kids get the best start in life.
At Westgarth Primary, we have had some great wins – with over $1.12 million secured for critical maintenance, accessible buildings and a new inclusive outdoor learning space.
But there is still work to do.
For Westgarth Primary to be the best it can be, we need to address outstanding challenges around its aging buildings and invest in its potential, with modern, flexible and fit-for-purpose learning spaces.
That’s why the school community, Principal Wheeler and I have been working to raise awareness, build the case and push for capital investment which will deliver a long-term vision for the future of Westgarth Primary.
Together, we have prepared a state budget submission for Westgarth Primary which, if funded, will deliver a comprehensive masterplan to upgrade the school with modern education facilities that give our students every opportunity to explore their passions and reach their potential.
The first stage would fund 8 new classrooms to replace our aging portables and a new full sized gymnasium which would deliver a multipurpose space for the whole school and broader community. As your local MP, I won’t stop fighting for our local schools.
I won’t stop fighting for Westgarth Primary.
But I need your help, too.
Will you join me and share your support for my push to get funding for Westgarth Primary?