MORE Victorian government schools are falling into disrepair, with the Victorian Auditor-General’s latest audit revealing a sharp increase in the number of schools rated in poor condition.
The audit found that in 2024 the number of government schools considered in their ‘poor conditions’ category has grown from 182 to 221.
A wide variety of those schools are based in the Mitchell Shire and Macedon Ranges (MRSC) including Romsey Primary, Broadford Secondary and Seymour College.
The conditions of schools in the area have caused a stir among the local politicians, who argue that more funding should be directed towards schools with the poorest facilities.
| School Name | Condition Score | Condition | Enrolments |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Gisborne Primary School | 2.95 | Poor | 443 |
| Romsey Primary School | 3.01 | Poor | 326 |
| Woodend Primary School | 3.03 | Poor | 382 |
| Bolinda Primary School | 3.14 | Poor | 42 |
| Malmsbury Primary School | 3.15 | Poor | 67 |
| Newham Primary School | 3.19 | Poor | 53 |
| Riddells Creek Primary School | 3.2 | Poor | 278 |
| Darraweit Guim Primary School | 3.21 | Poor | 50 |
| Macedon Primary School | 3.22 | Poor | 232 |
| Mount Macedon Primary School | 3.23 | Poor | 134 |
| Gisborne Secondary College | 3.24 | Poor | 973 |
| Gisborne Primary School | 3.25 | Worn | 475 |
| Hesket Primary School | 3.26 | Worn | 78 |
| Tylden Primary School | 3.41 | Worn | 121 |
| Lancefield Primary School | 3.42 | Worn | 196 |
| Kyneton High School | 3.51 | Good | 630 |
| Kyneton Primary School | 3.56 | Good | 308 |
| Willowbank Primary School | 5 | Good | 374 |
“Victoria is supposed to be the Education State, but under Labor schools are falling apart, and students in the Macedon district are paying the price.” State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said.
The report following the audit confirmed that 25 per cent of school upgrades have been delayed and that the government has pushed its target of having no schools in poor condition from 2030 to 2034.
Within the Mitchell Shire, the Broadford and Wallan Primary Schools are the two worst in terms of conditions, according to the audit, and the rest of the government schools were all considered ‘worn’.
In comparison, the Macedon Ranges have three schools in good condition within the council area, whereas the Mitchell Shire has none.
Romsey Primary and Darreweit Primary are the lowest rated within the MRSC, and haven’t received funding since the 2017-18 State Budget where only $60k was allocated to the Darraweit school for upgrades and modernisation, as well as $3.2 million to Romsey.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland is passionate about the topic, saying it shouldn’t matter where you live, children should deserve the best facilities possible.
“Broadford Secondary College portable classrooms are operating off generators, Seymour College is still waiting for adequate air conditioning in new classrooms, and many schools continue to raise concerns about ageing infrastructure, mould, asbestos and maintenance issues,” Ms Cleeland said.
| School Name | Condition Score | Condition | Enrolments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadford Primary School | 3.18 | Poor | 332 |
| Wallan Primary School | 3.21 | Poor | 750 |
| Upper Plenty Primary School | 3.35 | Worn | 205 |
| Broadford Secondary College | 3.38 | Worn | 830 |
| Wandong Primary School | 3.38 | Worn | 491 |
| Seymour College | 3.39 | Worn | 726 |
| Tallarook Primary School | 3.44 | Worn | 31 |
| Willowmavin Primary School | 3.47 | Worn | 57 |
| Kilmore Primary School | 3.48 | Worn | 481 |
“Having access to safe, modern and well-maintained learning facilities should not depend on your postcode.”
On the other hand, State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes says that the current government has invested a significant amount of money into regional Victoria.
“Labor has invested more than $50 billion in regional Victoria, in new schools, new TAFEs, new hospitals and better roads,” she said.
“Ms Cleeland is forgetting the recent past. It’s taken Labor years to rebuild the cuts and neglect of previous Liberal National Governments – and now they’re planning to do it all again.”
Ms Symes doubled down with statistics of the plans of the opposition government, who look to cut billions of dollars.
“The Liberals and Nationals have announced a $40 billion cuts plan – and you can’t cut that deep or hard without cutting regional schools and hospitals.”
Ms Lovell joined in the discussions, explaining that Victoria is failing as an education state.
“Victoria is supposed to be the Education State, but Labor’s mismanagement of school upgrades means that most students in Macedon Ranges are learning in classrooms that are in ‘poor’ condition.”
In response to that, State Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas says the government has delivered more than $87 million in school upgrades across the Macedon electorate since 2014 “because we know the biggest cost-of-living help for families is public education they can rely on.”
“Our investment in Macedon schools isn’t finished – with a project in the pipeline at Newham Primary School, we’re making sure every child in this community has access to the world-class education they deserve.”
Since 2014, the government has delivered more than 40 individual projects at 20 different schools within the MRSC, yet there continues to be 11 schools in poor condition.
Data from the Audit shows that only 19 per cent of the schools that received funding in the years between 2015-2025 were in ‘poor’ condition.
33 per cent of the schools were in ‘worn’ and condition and yet despite being in ideal condition, a whopping 48 per cent that received funding were already in ‘good’ condition.