A petition calling for secondary schools to be built in Melton City’s eastern corridor will be redrawn after it was pointed out that the document was incorrectly addressed.
Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins said the petition – which has 161 signatures – was worded for the attention of council, not the Parliament of Victoria.
“Parliamentary rules are very particular on the wording of petitions … I have offered to create a second petition that could be tabled in the Parliament, but [that] would require getting the signatures again,” Ms Hutchins said.
The petition argues for the acquisition of land for schools in the Hillside, Taylors Hill, Plumpton and Caroline Springs areas to ease overcrowding and enrolment problems.
Four state secondary schools currently serve the area, which has a population of about 66,000. Only Lakeview College in Caroline Springs offers VCE.
Ms Hutchins backed calls for the council to meet Education Minister Martin Dixon.
“Secondary school places are not keeping pace with new housing developments in the outer-west,” she said.
Outgoing Melton councillor Broden Borg said action was needed.
“We’re in arrears for the provision of schools across the city as we speak,” he said.
Cr Borg said a five-hectare parcel of land near Taylors Hill West had been identified as a site for a future school.
The council’s state budget wishlist for this year includes funding for a secondary school in the municipality’s eastern corridor.
Mr Dixon’s spokeswoman has previously said infrastructure funding for the Melton area will be considered as part of future budget deliberations.
