Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to condemn the Tasmanian state government's suggested closure of the Ringarooma Primary School, which is in my electorate of Bass. I would like to make it clear that I do not support the closure of this school. It would be unacceptable for the school, unacceptable for the students and unacc­eptable for the local community. Recently, the Branxholm Primary School was forced to close, and students relocated mostly to the Ringarooma Primary School. So this would in effect be the closure of two schools.

The school is a central part of the community, being the venue for the Ringar­ooma Show, and we cannot allow this school to be looked at in isolation of the community benefit the school brings to the local community. The distress that is being felt amongst the local community is evident in long-time community member 101-year-old Thelma Bennett, who is fighting to save the school along with numerous others. I again implore the Tasmanian government to reconsider the closure of the Ringarooma school. This decision is out of touch with the community's wishes and I am sure they will give the Greens Minister for Education and Skills in Tasmania a Ringarooma.

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