BRIAGOLONG Primary School, Maffra Secondary College, Rosedale Primary School and Sale College are set to benefit from the latest round of the federal government’s Schools Upgrade Fund.

The recently announced fund allocates $48 million in infrastructure projects for 67 Victorian public schools, including nine in Gippsland.

The successful projects include upgrading classrooms, installing new playground equipment, and resurfacing and upgrading sporting facilities.

The four projects in Wellington to build or upgrade infrastructure and their dollar amount are:

$810,233 to refurbish the toilets at Sale College;

$799,249 to demolish and replace the student toilets and relocate the hydraul- ics system at Maffra Secondary College;

$422,735 to replace the hardcourt, and build an additional hardcourt and new access ramp at Briagolong Primary School, and;

$349,759 to replace the playground at Rosedale Primary School.

Victorian Senator, Raff Ciccone said the upgrades would benefit teachers and students alike.

“The Albanese government’s Schools Upgrade Fund is making a real difference to schools, teachers and students in my duty electorate of Gippsland and across Victoria,” he said.

“Everyone wins when local schools get more support so teachers and students can enjoy better facilities.”

Federal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester welcomed more funding for Gippsland schools, saying the announcement was a win for hard-working school communities.

“This is a great result for the parents and teachers on school councils who have been working hard to secure funding for projects, often ignored by the state government, which is primarily responsible for public school funding,” Mr Chester said.

“Our Gippsland school communities have been neglected by the state government and I’m looking forward to these projects being delivered in a timely manner.

“We will see everything from toilet blocks to playground upgrades from one end of Gippsland to the other.

“Hopefully, there will be local tradespeople employed to undertake the work to deliver additional economic benefits to local communities.”

Public schools with the greatest need have been prioritised, including schools with high numbers of students from a low socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations Students, and students with a disability. Public schools which haven’t received significant capital funding in the last two years were also prioritised.

Round 2 was open to all public schools, and applications closed in February. Schools submitted their projects to their relevant state and territory education departments which made recommendations to the federal government.

Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare said he wanted all students to get access to quality education and facilities.

“From upgrading art rooms and tech rooms to new outdoor equipment and replacing demountables, this funding will deliver upgrades to public schools that need it the most,” he said.

The state minister for education, Ben Carroll welcomed the federal government’s investment.

“We’ve invested billions into upgrading thousands of schools across Victoria and it’s great to have a partner in Canberra now doing the same – helping ensure our schools have the infrastructure they need to help students succeed,” he said.

More information on the Schools Upgrade Fund is available at education.gov.au/schools-upgrade-fund