By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE idle Endeavour Hills Secondary College site will be used for Hallam Senior College’s Sports Academy under a future Labor Government, according to the State Opposition.
Labor last week pledged to provide Hallam Senior College with partial access to the old campus if they are successful in the November poll.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, who announced the election promise at Hallam Senior College last Wednesday, said a Labor Government would give the Sports Academy access to the currently unused basketball stadium and oval.
“Providing access to the old site will mean Hallam Senior College’s plans for its Sports Academy can continue to move forward, providing local kids with targeted career pathways and help retain students into senior years,” he said.
Mr Donnellan also used the announcement as an opportunity to question whether the Department of Education was currently planning to sell the land for high density residential purposes.
“The last thing we want in Endeavour Hills is high density development,” he said.
“Instead, keeping this land for use by the Sports Academy will benefit the whole community.”
Casey Councillor Rafal Kaplon has been a staunch supporter of allowing Hallam Senior College to use the Endeavour Hills site, and commended Labor’s announcement.
“I was ecstatic, the main goal is to keep that site in community hands,” Cr Kaplon said.
“All I can hope for is that other candidates from other political parties can at least match that promise.
“Labor’s promise is for part of the site to be used; I’m hoping other parties can step up to the plate and either match that or exceed it,” he said.
Education Minister Martin Dixon this week questioned the validity of Labor’s promise.
“Victorians will judge both parties on what they do, not what they say,” he said.
“The Victorian Coalition Government has delivered on all of its school commitments from the last election, has built or is building 23 new schools, and is significantly upgrading existing schools.”
