Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have a profound interest in the schools in my electorate and a particular soft spot for small state schools, former convent schools now run by lay people and small Christian schools of various denominations. The Investing in Our Schools Program did a tremendous amount, an incredible amount for them. I would like to raise today the matter of the Dallarnil State School. Dallarnil is not a town that would possibly come readily to mind. It is small town between Childers and Biggenden, Childers being in my electorate and, hopefully, Biggenden being in my new electorate—the electors willing. That school ran out of water—a state school, 32 kids, five teachers and support staff, no water. The Biggenden Shire Council provided a tanker load full of water and the school struggled along. It had an emergency supply to a creek, which dried up. In addition to that, it had an old tank in the yard that could not be used because of its doubtful health status. But we got to the point where the little kids were lining up with buckets to flush the toilets by hand.

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