Daylesford secondary college to arise from the ashes

Premier Daniel Andrews today joined Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas to visit Daylesford Secondary College to discuss plans for the school’s $10 million rebuild in the wake of the recent fire.

A major fire in December 2015 destroyed about a third of the school’s buildings, including the library and many classrooms. Temporary facilities have been provided to ensure students can continue to get the education they need.

Daylesford Secondary College had secured a $10 million funding boost in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget to rebuild the college’s science and technology facilities, as well as its library.

The Andrews Labor Government is fast tracking this project to get the school back on its feet.

Taylor Oppenheim Architects, appointed in November to undertake the project, have been working in close consultation with the school community to develop these plans.

As part of the visit, Ms Thomas also donated $500 worth of books to the library to replace some of those lost in the fire.

The Budget invested close to $4 billion in Victoria’s schools and tertiary providers, representing the single biggest boost to education funding in Victoria’s history.

It provided $344 million to renovate, refurbish or rebuild 67 schools – 25 of them in our fast-growing outer suburbs and 21 in regional Victoria.

It also included $120 million to build and upgrade Catholic and Independent schools across the state, matching dollar-for-dollar the non-government sector’s contribution.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
"It’s great to see the Daylesford school community getting back on its feet after December’s fire cruelly tore through the school."

"We’re not going to waste a single day in rebuilding this great school, so local kids can get the skills they need for the job they want."

Quotes attributable to the Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"The Daylesford community has shown enormous resilience in rallying together in the wake of this fire."

"The same tenacity was shown when the community fought to secure funding for the second stage of the school’s rebuild, which the Andrews Labor Government will deliver upon."