Forster’s Great Lakes College campus is at the head of the queue of schools awaiting repairs, with $3,328,868 worth of maintenance waiting… and waiting… to be done. Its closest competitor – Marsden High School – is almost $500,000 behind. The second closest in this region is Taree High School with $1,351,517 worth of backlog.

“The total bill for outstanding school maintenance in the Myall Lakes electorate is $11,388,638,” Labor’s local spokesperson in the NSW Legislative Council, Courtney Houssos, said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that over the next two years “approximately $5.9 million will be spent in the Myall Lakes on planned and priority maintenance.’

“This increase in funding will target roofs, floor coverings and painting, as well as other backlog maintenance works selected by school principals.”

But competing for their slice of this local funding pie will be 22 primary schools, six high schools and one central school. 

Close on the heels of Labor’s maintenance list was an announcement by the NSW Government that $46 million would be available through the Connecting Country Schools program for a technology upgrade.

“To ensure schools make best use of their upgraded wireless and internet capability, they will be required to make an application and consult with their school community to identify how they intend to use the technology to improve teaching and learning,” Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead, said.

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2016-2017 maintenance backlog figures obtained and released by the NSW Labor Party:

Bobin Public School $77,666

Bulahdelah Central School $45,744

Bungwahl Public School $25,299

Pacific Palms Public School $545,824

Coolongolook Public School $200,495

Cundletown Public School $715,167

Elands Public School $81,877

Forster Public School $217,140

Krambach Public School $74,389

Mitchells Island Public School $55,332

Mount George Public School $29,049

Nabiac Public School $361,443

Old Bar Public School $193,142

Oxley Island Public School $165,724

Taree Public School $625,293

Tinonee Public School $237,031

Taree West Public School $361,962

Chatham Public School $280,167

Tuncurry Public School $32,481

Manning Gardens Public School $173,513

Wingham Brush Public School $417,393

Hallidays Point Public School $179,507

Wingham Public School $579,769

Taree High School  $1,351,517

Great Lakes College Senior Campus $54,440

Great Lakes College Tuncurry Campus $323 TBC

Wingham High School $228,262

Chatham High School $749,821

Great Lakes College Forster Campus $3,328,868

Total $11,386,636