IT centre funding disputed

Member for Robertson, Mr Jim Lloyd, has claimed that the IT Skills Centre announced by the State Government for Woy Woy High is to be funded entirely by Federal money.

He has called on the State Education Minister, Mr John Aquilina, to clarify the funding for the centre.

"The truth is that the entire $567,210 is Federal Government funding, which had been approved to establish this skills training facility in the Donnison St One Stop Youth Facility.

"This skills centre was an integral part of the Donnison St project and was designed to be accessed by the 17 Central Coast High Schools.

"Some 1458 local students - 37% of all year 11 and year 12 students - would access this centre," Mr Lloyd said.

"The Federal Government has already contributed $220,000 to the Donnison St project and three weeks ago State Minister Della Bosca presented a cheque for $250,000 from the State Government to the Donnison St project.

"Even John Della Bosca was not aware that his own State Government has just ripped $567,000 out of this project for its own political agenda.

"In a cynical exercise, Mr Aquilina has relabelled this Commonwealth funding, claiming it as new State Government money for the skills centre at Woy Woy," Mr Lloyd said.

"What Mr Aquilina has not explained to the students and parents of Woy Woy and Umina High, is whether this skills centre will be for the use of the Woy Woy-Umina students alone, or will they have to share it with the other students who were to use the Donnison Street Centre," Mr Lloyd said.

"Obviously a skills centre should be established at Woy Woy High School, but not at the expense of the Donnison St Centre, which would have benefited all Central Coast students," Mr Lloyd said.

"If Mr Aquilina wants students and parents to support this new collegiate proposal, he should at least be honest with them," he said.

Press release August 30