Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question to the minister goes to needs based funding. It has been an issue for so long in schools: having needs identified, responded to and resourced. I am pleased to say that in my electorate now eight schools are receiving low-socioeconomic assistance, but it has taken a long time. It is so much appreciated by those schools. Four schools are receiving literacy and numeracy funding. Can you tell us, Minister, the impact this needs based approach—this identifying needs and funding on needs—is having around the country and how that will be maintained?

I would also like to mention a recent sod-turning at the Shortland wetlands—an international Ramsar wetland—where I was very pleased to have the director of Catholic education for the Hunter Region as well as NSW DET do a sod-turn for a partnerships project. The overwhelming view was that this could never have happened before. To see schools partnering with an international Ramsar wetlands to enhance the educational opportunities for all children in our region was something, certainly, that they were celebrating. What has been happening around that area, how have partnerships been forged and what will the benefits of those be?

See this speech in context