Parents slam ‘delay’ in school build work

By Danielle Galvin
PARENTS claim they have been left in the lurch after they say the Officer Special School’s opening date was pushed back to 2014.
But the Education Department says the project is on track.
Cathy Smith, co-ordinator of the Support for a Specialist School for Casey-Cardinia (SS4CC), lobbied the State Government for a school in the area before the last election.
Ms Smith said that she wasn’t convinced the school would be ready by 2014 considering that development at the site had halted.
“The community needs this school to open in 2013 as promised,” she said.
“Many families are in a holding pattern waiting for this facility as there is nothing for children with special needs in the vicinity.”
But a Department of Education spokesperson said the school was on track to be opened in two years.
He said that 2014 was the initial planning schedule for the project.
“Before building can begin the developer needs to connect roads and other infrastructure such as power and gas lines to the site,” the spokesperson said.
“This significant work is being done as quickly as possible so the building of this exciting project can begin.”
Ms Smith says that the opening of the Officer Special School had been pushed back to 2014, a year later than promised.
“While planning had been progressing since the money was allocated in the 2011 budget, delays by VicUrban and the Cardinia Shire Council with the Officer Precinct Structure Plan and now with subsequent development by VicUrban means that building cannot commence early this year as had initially been anticipated,” Ms Smith said.
She said the closest schools in Dandenong, Cranbourne, Narre Warren and Warragul were over-crowded and too far for children to travel each day.
“Children are enduring long bus trips of up to one-and-a-half hours to reach them,” she said.
Ms Smith said she hoped the department would find an alternative site.
“Perhaps a portable or something, that’s a start then we could get a principal,” she said.
The SS4CC are holding a community meeting to discuss the progress of the school at the Dandenong Valley SDS on Thursday 8 March at 7pm.