By Pam Kiriakidis
HAZEL Glen College will receive upgrades to their sports facilities, with new sport spaces to be funded through the 2023-24 State Budget.
Up to $800,000 in funding will allow the school to deliver multi-use courts for students in years five to 12.
Principal Neil Baillie welcomed the funding from the State Government, which he said would provide additional opportunities for students to use during physical education, PE, classes, before and after school, lunchtimes, and recreational activity.
“This is the 10th year of the college, and we grew to full size of year 12s in 2020 and buildings were the primary concern, and now we’re able to concentrate on expanding our wider facilities,” he said.
“It impacts students in their overall physical and mental, and that’s something to be covered for all our students wherever their age.”
Mr Baillie said planning was the next step of the project, working with the Victorian School Building Authority and people within the school community to manage the project.
“Once the school building authority get involved, then we have to go through a design process and obviously we’ll be asking for student voices into that, also from our PE staff as well … in terms of what they want to help and wanted to look,” he said.
Member for Yan Yean Lauren Kathage visited the college on Friday and said sport was a huge aspect of the community for families to stay active and become engaged.
“Hazel Glen College is the centre of the Doreen community and had so much to contribute to building identity and being a great place for people to gather,” she said.
“We also know that this is a sports mad area, so I was really proud to deliver … funding for Hazel Glen College to upgrade this sports facilities.”