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FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018 WWW.RIVERINEHERALD.COM.AU MONDAY•WEDNESDAY•FRIDAY 5482 1111 $1.30 KEEP ECHUCA-MOAMA turns orange inclusion for all. today. All funds raised will go towards A symbol for inclusion. the One & All Inclusion Project. YOUR EYES Wear Orange Day will see all The event was launched at Echuca-Moama and Leitchville Campaspe Shire’s Tongala depot PEELED FOR schools and more than 110 (pictured) earlier this week. businesses turn orange for the You can read more about orange day in an effort to value all walks day on page 7. ORANGE DAY of life and abilities and embrace PHOTO: Bel Anderson, Campaspe Shire We’re not talking about school programs. We are talking “about keeping students healthy enough to stay alive Win STATE OF ORIGIN DOUBLE PASS & ACCOMMODATION OUR BETRAYED GAME 1, JUNE 6 @ THE MCG COUPON ON PAGE 2 SCHOOL FIGHTS ON SPECIAL REPORTS, PAGES 3, 14, 15 STARTS PAGE 17 riverineherald.com.au Riverine Herald, Friday, May 18, 2018—PAGE 3 OPINION TYLA HARRINGTON Fix the school or hang your head in shame STUDENTS at Echuca Specialist most certainly beyond looking foolish contains asbestos’ something has to immediate issues at the school. they can’t move into a school they School wear a smile from ear to ear. for begging. There is simply nothing change. But you’ve done neither. were supposed to be included in. They’re happy to be there, happy to else this school and our community And when a pipe bursts and there’s So I am writing to you and I will Included. Mark that word Mr be learning, happy to be with their can do. no water to clean tubes to feed plead, happily beg, on behalf of the Merlino. The irony of it all is in the friends and teachers. So I write to you Mr Merlino. As students through their stomachs, guess families and staff at Echuca Specialist twin towns today is Wear Orange Day, But behind closed doors, in inter- Education Minister you know full well what? School, if you will do something about which encourages inclusion in our views with journalists, phone calls to we need you to fund this school. Something has to change. this school before it is too late. community. politicians or in Victoria’s Parliament, And we needed you to fund it That something should have A teacher’s aide told me we are no Every school here is on board; plus the school council and staff have not yesterday. changed yesterday. But these words longer talking about school programs more than 110 businesses. been smiling for years. You can spin it with political are not meant to pick a fight, Minister, any more, and she is right. But are you Minister? They have been backed so far up doublespeak any way you like, but these words are meant to encourage These are lives Minister, lives that against the wall they have nowhere to your government has turned its back Because our Specialist School, in its immediate change. are in your hands. turn. on a school whose students are woefully inadequate portables and If Echuca’s Specialist School was in failing infrastructure, lurches from day And that is because their school did amongst the most vulnerable and What are you going to do about it? Melbourne the outcry would have to day – alone – at its High St address. not receive funding in the latest needy in the wider education system. This is no longer a request. It is a been overwhelming and, we have no It is not included in the Twin Rivers Victorian budget to relocate to the When a principal has to shovel raw demand. Twin Rivers School complex. sewage from his school something has doubt, action would have been im- Come to the Echuca Specialist School. mediate. It is an appalling set of circum- to change. School, walk through the asbestos And that falls on your shoulders. stances; so bad the school council and When this sewage is seeping Surely the writing is on the wall. buildings, roll up your sleeves and You have not embraced our special parents would willingly drop to their through sinks used to clean feeding If you don’t make drastic change, help the principal shovel some shit, community. You must step up or hang knees to beg – if they thought for even tubes or flooding the administration and make it now, there could be dire explain to the teachers why the school your head in shame – and resign. a fleeting second this government building, something has to change. consequences. had no water on Wednesday, why its ■ A Riverine Herald special report on cared. When there are signs on school Last week you vowed to finish what unit to burn nappies is broken. the school, including interviews with We are beyond desperate and we are buildings saying ‘This building you started and you vowed to address And finally, tell the students why families and staff, starts on page 14. AUTHORITY BOSS AND EDUCATION MINISTER RESPOND James Merlino: ‘But as ‘Governments can I have said, we will only fund so much’ finish what we started’ THE Victorian School Building Au- I have instructed thority boss has defended the govern- This was a very big investment in the ment’s decision to not fund the Echuca state budget ... there are a number of ‘the building Specialist School in the state budget. ‘ Authority chief executive Chris schools that are very disappointed and feel authority to Keating said the school was in poor condition and a ‘‘priority’’ for the that they missed out immediately work government. with and support the ‘‘I understand the specialist school concern about the effluent treatment,’ the meantime making sure it is an and the broader community are really particularly the waste water and sew- appropriate environment for the kids school on their devastated the specialist school hasn’t erage,’’ he said. and staff,’’ he said. had the funding in this budget,’’ he ‘‘We spoke to the (school) principal ‘‘The department knows this is a current maintenance said. on Friday to understand what was high priority, we know this needs to ‘‘I suppose from a broader perspec- going on and since then we’ve also get done. issues tive whilst this was a very big spoke to Vivid (formerly known as ‘‘We acknowledge the long-term investment in the state budget ... there Murray Human Services) to really solution is getting this great project school investment following record James Merlino. ’ are a number of schools that are very understand what’s going on with the developed ... we understand the com- low funding from the Coalition’’. disappointed and feel that they missed system. munity is disappointed ... whether one EDUCATION Minister James ‘‘Already across Campaspe Shire out. ‘‘A plumber was out there today school’s need is higher than the other Merlino said he would consider ‘‘fu- we have invested more than $18 ‘‘Echuca is clearly one of those.’’ (yesterday) and is going to provide a is where it gets hard. ture funding as part of the usual million on building and upgrading Mr Keating said it was a high detailed assessment of what the prob- ‘‘Is it fair? At some point govern- budget process’’ for the Echuca schools compared to a mere $600,000 priority but the project needed fund- lem is. ments can only fund so much.’’ Specialist School. under the Coalition,’’ he said. ing. ‘‘Once we understand what the When asked whether he would be ‘‘We will continue to work with ‘‘Relocating Echuca Specialist ‘‘I also know the (Education) Min- problem is the department will fix the willing to come to the school to see the Echuca Specialist School ... But as I School is part of the Victorian ister (James Merlino) is committed to problem with the sewerage.’’ conditions in person, Mr Keating said have said, we will finish what we Government’s vision for the Echuca Regeneration Project. it, he said in Parliament that his Mr Keating said one of the school’s he would. started,’’ he said. ‘‘The Andrews Labor Government government will see this through,’’ he problem was when the school was ‘‘I was there in about 2010 ... I ‘‘I have also instructed the Victor- said. invested $11 million for the new opened, it only had about 10 students would be happy to go out again,’’ he ian School Building Authority to Echuca Twin Rivers Primary School. Mr Keating said a plumber was at and now could not cope with the said. immediately work with and support ‘‘The school opened at the start of the school yesterday completing a demand. ‘‘In any given budget not every the school on their current mainten- this year as part of the project’s first ‘‘detailed assessment’’ of the sewer- ‘‘Clearly the best solution for the school will get funded and unfortun- ance issues.’’ stage, completing a merge between age system. school is to get the project funded and ately this one missed out but it doesn’t Mr Merlino said his government Echuca South Primary School and ‘‘I know the school has raised relocated onto the new premises but in make it any less of a priority.’’ was left with a ‘‘huge backlog of Echuca West Primary School.’’ PAGE 14—Riverine Herald, Friday, May 18, 2018 riverineherald.com.au SPECIALIST SCHOOL PAYS THE PRICE OF BUDGET SNUB Latter day tragedy being played out High St HQ He’s really ‘blossomed since site can’t having his feeding deliver all tube out. He used to get sick all the time these kids’ but he’s just a joy to must haves be with now BEN O’Dea reaches over to tickle his ’ that just goes beyond what anyone father.