Students at more than 200 schools across Victoria are set to benefit from an essential maintenance boost, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams, today announced three schools in Dandenong are among the 230 schools that will share in $10.4 million of Planned Maintenance Program (PMP) funding.

PMP funding ensures schools can undertake essential work to grounds and classrooms such as fixing roofs and windows, painting, resurfacing floors and replacing windows, as well as external landscaping works like pathways and lighting.

Rosewood Downs Primary School has been allocated $1.162 million to complete a roof upgrade across the school’s buildings. In 2019 as part of a Maintenance Blitz, Rosewood Downs Primary School was allocated $745,000 to address roof issues. This significant additional allocation will ensure the full scope of the roof works at the school, including the covered linked areas, the fourth classroom roof and ceiling repairs are fully acquitted.

Lyndale Greens Primary School will also receive $55,000 for high priority maintenance tasks identified in the school’s Rolling Facilities Assessment as well as other roof plumbing and structural issues. Moreover, Lyndale Secondary College has been allocated $25,000 to address high priority maintenance tasks, including external floor revarnishing, fascia repainting and roof structure works.

More than $2.4 million will go towards maintenance to Shelter-in-Place buildings at 11 schools, which provides emergency accommodation to staff and students in the case of a bushfire.

The funding is on top of over $27 million of PMP funding already provided to 357 schools in the 2020 school year.

This funding ensures existing buildings at Victoria’s 1,500 state schools are safe, modern and properly maintained.

Works are determined by an evaluation system which uses up-to-date information on the condition of schools to create a faster and more targeted allocation of PMP funding.

In the past five years, the Labor Government has invested more than $9 billion in more than 1,600 school upgrades – creating more than 10,000 construction jobs – and is now ahead of schedule on its commitment to open 100 new schools by 2026, with 48 new schools opening between 2019 and 2022.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education, James Merlino:

“Our record investment in school infrastructure is delivering high quality classrooms for our hard-working principals, teachers and staff, as well as students and families.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams:

“Our Planned Maintenance Program is about ensuring that every Dandenong school is well maintained and safe to provide the best possible environment for students to learn in.”