Strong call for Bungendore high school - Labor forum

Around 70 people attended the Labor Education Forum at the Memorial Hall in Bungendore on Wednesday 12 September. To hear a strong community call for a high school to be built In Bungendore were Mike Kelly, federal member for Eden Monaro, Jihad Dib, Shadow NSW Education Minister and Country Labor candidate for the Monaro state seat, Bryce Wilson.

Mike Kelly opened the forum and spoke about Bungendore being in the fastest growing region in NSW and welcomed Jihad to speak about NSW Labor’s plans for education. The Shadow Minister told the forum that education was the top priority for a future state Labor government at all levels from kindergarten through to TAFE. As a former high school principal, he had personal experience of the importance that education played in both the lives of students as well as the community. He said that a Bungendore high school should be a school for the community with weekend adult education, community groups and sports as well as a good curriculum. It was not appropriate that children had to spend so much time being bussed long hours for their educational needs.

Bryce Wilson said that for too long NSW has relied on the ACT for school and health services and the state government had to step up to the plate and provide the necessary infrastructure that regional communities were demanding. Labor would commit all funding flowing from the Snowy hydro development to regional infrastructure.

Jihad Dib said that it would be wrong to just promise that he could deliver a high school in Bungendore, if in government, without the necessary facts to back up any proposal. He said that he had met with the Bungendore High School Action Group and had been impressed with the groundwork that had been done to make the case. The existing primary school enrolments, together with growth projections made a compelling case for a High School in Bungendore without impacting existing facilities in Braidwood or Queanbeyan. “I have a process to go through, which will have a time frame which will involve Expenditure Review Committee and Shadow Cabinet” he said, and "I am taking this process to the next step and I hope we will be able to announce the outcome soon. It will come with a date. I won't promise what I can't deliver."

The forum was opened up for questions and comment and a number of people spoke about how they loved living in the local community but that the lack of education when their children reached high school age was an impediment to staying. The provision of a local high school would be an important consideration in whether families stayed.

Jihad Dib concluded the forum by reiterating that he will “do things methodically,” but is “pretty confident of good news,” in the near future as Labor had made education an absolute priority. He encouraged the community to continue to make their voice heard on these crucial issues.

Jihad Dib also encouraged letters of support. You can write to him at lakemba@parliament.nsw.gov.au and Bryce Wilson at bryce.wilson@countrylabor.com.au.

Photo (L-R): Jihad Dib, Bryce Wilson, Mike Kelly.