Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I raise an issue of great concern in my electorate. It affects hundreds of students, parents and community members. The Bridgewater High School, in the northern point of my electorate of Franklin, has been responsible for teaching local children in grades 7 to 10 for almost three decades. It is an area where I spent the early years of my life. Around a year ago a much needed $1½ million refurbishment of the school was officially unveiled by the Tasmanian education minister, an upgrade welcomed by students, staff and the community alike. But tragedy struck in October 2007 when arsonists set fire to a rubbish bin in the school common room. The fire spread quickly, ultimately destroying up to three-quarters of the buildings with damage running into several million dollars. The remaining buildings were demolished and the school site is currently vacant, awaiting a decision on whether it will be rebuilt there.

Immediately after the fire, Tasmania Police offered a $2,000 reward for information. While this yielded some leads, it was not enough to help police find those responsible for the devastating blaze. In December last year, police increased that reward to $20,000 for information leading to an arrest. Sadly, the culprit or culprits remain at large.

This loss of the school has shattered the local community. The school was a valuable community asset in which a great deal of pride was invested. Its loss has had a heavy toll on the students, the staff, the parents and the wider community. The students, for the remainder of the 2007 school year, had to go to school at either the Geilston Bay High School, which is nearly 20 kilometres away, or Claremont College, which is nearly 10 kilometres away, and the grades were split at those two schools. While this does not sound like a vast distance, when you do not have access to transport or cannot afford the petrol, it means the world. That 10 or 20 kilometres can decide whether a child gets the education they deserve and need.

And this year, while the students await news on whether the school will be rebuilt, they have been moved into the local primary school. The primary school’s students have been temporarily co-located with another nearby primary school to accommodate these unusual circumstances. We have had the high school and two primary schools—a whole community—dislodged because of this fire. The primary school is still being renovated to help it meet the needs of the high school students. I have been informed that work is still progressing on the cooking facilities and science labs, with those areas due to be ready after Easter. I would like to put on record the work of all those involved in these interim arrangements. School principals Chris Gee, David Forshaw, Sue Richardson and Carolyn Brown have worked incredibly hard to manage this difficult transition.

The impact of this fire has been felt by many and at many levels within the community. Since the fire, there has been passionate debate about the future of schooling in Bridgewater and the surrounding region. The state government established a group, the Bridgewater and Southern Midlands Education Renewal Taskforce, to look at how the educational needs of not only Bridgewater but the broader region could be met. Some local residents are concerned the task force could recommend the creation of a school outside Bridgewater and outside the reach of the hundreds of students that rely on Bridgewater High for their education.

These people have had a taste of losing their local school, and they want it rebuilt on its original site. An initial petition was tabled in the Tasmanian parliament towards the end of last year, with 600 people urging the state government to rebuild Bridgewater High on its original site. Local residents have been working very hard and they have a lot of support. They have established the Keep Bridgewater High on its Original Site steering committee. Last week local residents Ronda Cockshutt, Linda McKenzie, Angela Knight and Vicki Graham presented a far greater petition to the Tasmanian Minister for Education, David Bartlett, a petition with more than 3,500 signatures. That is from a community with 5,000 households. These signatures represent a large proportion of the community in the area.

The state minister, Mr Bartlett, welcomed the input from the local community and he said clearly that he would listen to the community of Bridgewater. I commend Minister Bartlett on his support for the community in what is clearly a difficult and emotional time. The education renewal taskforce will be meeting again tomorrow and is said to be nearing the end of its information-gathering phase. It will prepare a draft report, which is expected to be provided to the state minister by the end of this month. I understand recommendations will be publicly released, with a final recommendation presented to the minister before the end of next month. I do not believe that this community should be punished due to the actions of one or two individuals. I urge the Tasmanian state government to listen to the people of Bridgewater and retain the high school on its original site. Rebuild it back in the community where it has been for nearly 30 years.