Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to talk about a wonderful school in my home city of Launceston. Last Friday 1 September, I had the immense pleasure of visiting Larmenier Catholic School at St Leonards in northern Tasmania to see the finished works provided under the Commonwealth Capital Grants Program. I was warmly greeted by the school captains Matilda Babcock, Ruth Lockhart, Logan Brimfield and Rory Kingston, and I can tell you they were such an impressive group of students. It was a beautiful school with passionate teachers and very eager students. On behalf of the Minister for Education, the Hon. Jason Clare, I was able to officially open the new administration area, library and staffroom redevelopment as well as the new flexible learning spaces, which will improve students' educational outcomes. During the official assembly, we listened to the school's wonderful choir. They gave an outstanding version of the Australian national anthem as well as their school song. They were an absolutely beautiful choir.

This important development was delivered thanks to $589,836 provided by the Albanese Labor government through the Capital Grants Program. I acknowledge the wonderful builders and architects for the work that went into this project and the patience of the students, the teachers and the school community while this work was being undertaken.

The redevelopment and relocation of the administrative area and library as well as new enclosed access and breakout spaces for middle primary general learning areas means a lot to that school community. These new facilities will provide school staff, teachers and students at Larmenier Catholic School with better, more modern spaces in which to work, teach and learn. The Albanese Labor government is committed to providing all schools with appropriate funding so that all students, including those at Larmenier Catholic School, get the best possible education. This development will benefit students currently at Larmenier Catholic School as well as the many students who will continue to progress through that school—and we know that the intake of more students is ever-present within the Catholic education system.

The teachers, staff and students at Larmenier Catholic School have built a strong and positive school community, and these new facilities will further enhance our local educational opportunities. As I said at the opening, the Albanese Labor government strongly believes in providing the best possible resources so that local students can realise their potential and develop the skills they need to go on to further study or to find a job. I'd like to acknowledge the Minister for Education, the Hon. Jason Clare, who is showing great leadership within the education portfolio. He has a passion for learning and a passion for education and wants to ensure every Australian child gets the best education regardless of their postcode.

Thank you too to Principal Nicola Pearce of Larmenier Catholic School for hosting me and allowing me to help celebrate the opening. It was wonderful to join with her at Larmenier with such a great school community, with students, parents, guardians and grandparents all there as part of the school to give support. I'd also like to acknowledge Father Damien for the blessing of the school. It is so important, as we know, for Catholic education and for Catholics generally to have their facilities blessed, so it was lovely to meet him and to be part of that ceremony. I'd also like to acknowledge Catholic Education Tasmania's vision for Catholic schools and the importance of investing in educational spaces.

As I said, the enrolments are ever-growing in Catholic schools throughout the country, so, like with public education, we need to ensure that all schools, whether they're public or Catholic, have access to the facilities that are going to be beneficial for the students, for the teachers, for the school community and for admin. This was a prime example of how new redevelopments and how reconfiguring existing buildings can make learning easier and provide those really important break-out areas. Our future leaders will come from that school—our doctors and hopefully our teachers, our builders and our engineers. Therefore, as part of the Albanese Labor government, I'm very proud to have been able to facilitate the opening of those new facilities. I congratulate the school—the principal, the students and the whole school community—and wish them all the best for the rest of the year.