Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr advises he has received a response from Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli after seeking confirmation that any Department of Education owned land in the Cessnock Electorate was not being sold or earmarked for sale.
The response received from Minister Piccoli was disappointing for our Electorate, especially the Wollombi Community – the Minister advised “A property disposal plan for Wollombi Public School is being prepared for Property NSW in accordance with the Premier’s Memorandum M2012-20.”
The Department of Education closed Wollombi Public School in 2014 against the wishes of many in the Wollombi and broader communities. Wollombi School Community Education Trust (WSCET) currently promotes and supports educational events at the School and was formed when the School P & C and the Save our School Wollombi merged after the closure.
WSCET has been and continues to work with the Department of Education in an endeavour to keep the school in community ownership.
Mr Barr said ‘This is another one of our state owned assets being sold off by this Government. There is nothing safe from Baird and Co and their grab for more spending money.’
Mr Barr also said ‘Minister Piccoli stated in his letter ”Once declared surplus, property is sold and the proceeds are reinvested in capital works and maintenance projects in schools.” I wonder how much if any of the proceeds will be reinvested outside of the Sydney area?’