The Australian Greens have said they will push for a $10 million dollar investment in St Kilda Primary School if they win the seat of Macnamara. With a minority Parliament looming, Macnamara will be a key seat at the forthcoming election.
The Greens say the money would be used to help establish an indoor school community hub for P.E. classes, assemblies, graduations, performances, and community activities.
Despite being home to around 430 students, St Kilda Primary School is one of the largest schools in the area without an indoor recreation space.
The school's previous indoor hall was demolished by Labor in 2021 as part of capital works, however Labor is yet to provide any funding for a new one.
A community campaign led by local parents calling for the funding has already attracted over 2500 signatures.
Australian Greens candidate for Macnamara, Sonya Semmens, said it was important for kids to be able to get the most out of school, and that Labor needed to listen to the teachers and parents at St Kilda Primary School calling for this community hub.
She added that with more Greens in Parliament - including in Macnamara - the Greens would be able to fight for the things the community needs, like a great public school system.
Macnamara is one of the closest electoral contests nationwide. If 298 voters had changed their vote in the last election, the Greens would have won this seat.
In 2022, the Greens received a 5.5% positive swing in Macnamara, while Labor's vote was almost stagnant with a swing of 0.9%.
The seat of Macnamara will be a priority campaign for the Greens at the next federal election.
The commitment will come as part of a visit to St Kilda Primary School by Adam Bandt and Sonya Semmens.
As stated by Australian Greens candidate for Macnamara, Sonya Semmens:
"The Greens are fighting for public schools that meet everyone's needs.
"St Kilda Primary School means so much to both the families whose kids go there but also the broader local community.
"To make sure our kids can get the most out of school, the schools need to be properly funded.
"Teachers and parents have been crying out for an indoor community hub at St Kilda Primary School for years, and it's time for Labor to listen.
"If elected the Greens will push for a $10 million dollar investment to get this started."
As stated by Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:
"Sonya would be a powerful voice for the local community in Macnamara if elected, and would fight for proper funding for local schools, including St Kilda Primary School.
"The people of Macnamara are some of the most powerful voters in the country, and by voting Greens their community can get the attention it deserves.
"Nothing changes if nothing changes. With more Greens in parliament we'll be able to really fight for the things our community needs."
As stated by Australian Greens primary and secondary education spokesperson, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:
"We know our public school system is chronically underfunded, and Labor is choosing to look the other way.
"Over the last decade, underfunding of infrastructure by state and federal governments has led to a $30 billion gap between the public and private system. In the decade since the Gonski review, government funding to private schools has increased at double the rate of public schools - and the federal government has essentially stopped funding infrastructure for public schools.
"It's high time we gave kids in public schools across the country a fairer go by properly investing in the public school system."
