Call to make public high school a priority

STATE Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland urged Mitchell Shire residents to share their concerns about the lack of a public high school in Kilmore at a meeting last Wednesday.

Ms Cleeland attended the midday public meeting held at Caffeine Bar.

Mitchell Shire councillors Tim Hanson, Andrea Pace, Bob Humm and Bob Cornish also attended. There were also more than 15 residents in attendance at the meeting.

The future of a public secondary school in Kilmore is a number one issue for Ms Cleeland and as a former journalist, she attended the meeting to publicly film responses which included financial hardship, family breakdown, and broken friendships between students who are zoned to attend a different secondary school despite having established emotional connections with their peers in primary school.

“I don’t think the (State) Government understands the human toll this is having on our community,” she said.

“The financial pressure of going to a school of choice is crippling relationships … It’s about a matched commitment [from government.] If we don’t stand up now, they’ll think regional towns are a push-over … a 300 per cent increase in the population without the infrastructure is going to have some solid challenges.”

Central Ward Cr Hanson, whose children are aged four and 10, agreed. “I don’t know how we got to the point where the oldest inland town of Victoria does not have a high school. This is one of our main advocacy points for the [November] state election and [today] we have a councillor from each ward representing [our community].”

On the number of residents in attendance fellow Central Ward Cr Humm said: “I think it’s good to get the community input from the people who are affected. We’ve got Kilmore Primary School, Willowmavin Primary School, and [there’s] an overlay on the Kilmore Structure Plan for another (Kimore Primary School) on its south side. That’s three primary schools in Kilmore. Where are these kids going to go for high school? I hope someone listens.”

Northern Ward Cr Pace, commenting on the mood in the room, said: “It’s hopeful and desperate. We really need somebody to listen, to understand the pain the government is causing by ignoring the issue.”

Southern Ward Cr Bob Cornish agreed: “[These] people are outspoken. As they should be.”

Later, Ms Cleeland shared on OKR FM community radio that she has a survey for regional Victorians to complete and to encourage feedback from all sections of the community, there is an iPad available to win.

A community group will be established to look at what the financial, emotional and physical impacts would be if a proposal for a Kilmore high school is not put into the state budget.