Laura Smyth (La Trobe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Friday I was delighted to visit Cardinia Primary School to formally open their new facilities constructed under our Building the Education Revolution program. Having visited the school during its construction, it was marvellous to see the finished product and the great use that the children, teachers and other staff were already getting from the building.

I was particularly pleased to be there last Friday, as this week the school celebrates its 100th anniversary. Its original buildings are still being put to great use and have been restored to their original glory with funding from the National School Pride Program. The BER project at Cardinia Primary School will update the school's facilities for a new century. This includes a new outdoor learning area and a new library, and the project as a whole supported the employment of approximately 102 workers—exactly what Labor tried to achieve with the stimulus plan it put in place. It has considerably improved the learning environment for students and has really taken on the personality of the Cardinia Primary School.

I have seen firsthand the pride the school community takes in their school and the tremendous efforts by parents who have assisted with the new works, including making cabinets for the new facilities, producing impressive murals and developing the school's gardens. I congratulate school principal Allan Armstrong, the students, the parents and the teachers at Cardinia Primary School on the occasion of the school's 100th anniversary. I am sure the school will still be standing and making a very substantial contribution to our local community in another 100 years.