Collaboration needed to clean up education mess

September 23, 2014. MEDIA RELEASE

News that the new primary school in Ultimo will not be ready by 2017 as promised, unless the City of Sydney offers the state government a discount on the site is ‘ extremely disheartening’, says the Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker.

The Department of Education has offered to pay $74 million for the proposed site for the new school, but the City of Sydney is asking market value, which they estimate as up to $120 million, less $9.5 million for the cost of decontamination.

“As the Sydney Morning Herald recently revealed, the NSW public school system is facing a $7 billion shortfall,” says Greens MP Jamie Parker.

“Successive Education Ministers have failed to plan for the growing population in inner Sydney.

“This extraordinary failure lies at the feet of both the NSW Labor and Liberal parties.

“This is not time for bickering, it’s time to sort out this extraordinary mess to ensure that this most basic need – to educate our children – is met in our community.

“If they state government is serious about public education, and all the benefit that it brings to a high-functioning society – then they must make a proper contribution.”

Click here to read more about Jamie's work on education.

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FERRIES AT ANNANDALE AND WEST BALMAIN

Imagine hopping on a ferry at Annandale or West Balmain and being in the heart of the city within minutes.

In 2020, we won the campaign for a Glebe ferry. Now, we have the opportunity to connect more of our area to the ferry network. New ferries at Annandale and West Balmain will provide a faster, smarter route into the city without adding to the traffic on our roads.

Both Labor and the Liberals want to build more polluting and destructive tollways across Sydney. But we have costed a comprehensive plan for a world-class public transport system that makes getting around our city fast and easy.

Dear Transport Minister,

New inner west ferry services would provide efficient, fast and environmentally sound travel to and from the area for workers, tourists, students, pensioners and the general public.

I therefore ask that the Government build on the success of the Blackwattle Bay ferry and establish a ferry service at Rozelle Bay for the Annandale area and reinstate the ferry at West Balmain.

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