Schools set for funding boost

Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson said Albany schools are set to receive substantial per student funding increases if the Liberals’ proposed education funding package comes to fruition.

The school funding package, which is being referred to as ‘Gonski 2.0’, would likely bring a funding increase of $200 to $500 a student from next year, with that amount increasing over the coming decade.

Mr Wilson said it was a return to the principles of the Gonski report commissioned by the Gillard Labor Government in 2010, which would see schools funded on a needs basis.

He said there would be some elite private schools in the metropolitan area that may miss out on funding but Albany Catholic schools would likely still receive increases.

“My reading of the Catholic schools in the area is they will do quite well under this proposed funding package,” he said. “I have to stress that this is a proposed funding package at this point; it still needs to get through the party room, it’s got to get through the Parliament, so it is not set in stone but this is what’s being proposed.”

Mr Wilson said he would also like to see more money for roads and road safety in tonight’s Federal Budget.

“The more road funding in the Budget, the better,” he said.

Included in a $2.3 billion infrastructure package announced at the weekend is a $44 million regional road safety fund.

Mr Wilson said a doubling of the Roads to Recovery, an untied funding scheme for local governments to spend on road projects of their choosing, had also been announced for the 2017-18 financial year.

Mr Wilson said he would also like to see the Commonwealth Mobile Black Spot Program continued and capital funding for aged-care facilities across the electorate.