Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to speak today about the way in which the Howard government’s Investing in Our Schools program is directly benefiting Gold Coast schools. I am particularly pleased to announce that last week I had the pleasure of contacting a number of Gold Coast schools in my electorate of Moncrieff to advise them of the nearly $1 million in funding that was flowing to them thanks to the Howard government’s Investing in Our Schools program. This is money that will make a key difference to the lives of children studying on the Gold Coast, because the Queensland state government continues to neglect Gold Coast schools in favour of other schools in regions such as Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast.

I was pleased to advise the Principal of Ashmore State School, Carmel Ryan, of a grant of some $72,000 and Southport’s Bellevue Park State School of a grant of $18,000. There is $100,000 for Benowa State High School, $110,000 for Gilston State School, $149,000 in total for Keebra Park State High School and $145,000 for Merrimac State High School. Miami received $78,000; Nerang State High, $18,000; Nerang State School, $24,000; and Worongary State School, some $132,000.

Each of these schools is benefiting to the tune of around $100,000 thanks to the $1 billion Investing in Our Schools program. Having had the chance to go to so many of these schools and talk directly with the P&C associations, I say to them: congratulations on your hard work. I look forward to seeing this money invested and put to good use in the future.