Mr FERGUSON (Bass) – I rise to bring to the attention of the House a matter of great concern to many people in my electorate of Bass. I have been approached by a number of residents in my electorate who are pretty angry and very concerned about what is happening in their community. It reflects very poorly on this Government and in particular the Minister for Education and her predecessor. I am talking about the former site of what was the Rocherlea Primary School. The site and buildings on Lilydale Road
have become a disgrace to all Tasmanians. You would have to drive into the driveway to really appreciate what has happened at that site. By way of context, about three years ago that school celebrated its fiftieth birthday as a community school and that was a really positive experience. However, with changing needs and the legitimate need to improve the facilities, the decision was taken, I think, when Paula Wriedt was minister, to give Rocherlea a new school.
Mr Booth – Do you know who owns the site now? Does the Government still own it or has it sold it?
Mr FERGUSON – I will come to that. The decision was made for Rocherlea Primary School to be relocated to a new location and it is now, although still a distinct and individual school, on the same campus as Brooks High School. I went to the opening last year and it was a wonderfully positive experience. However, we have this problem now that the old school and buildings have been left unattended, unsecured and neglected. What would happen in those circumstances? Of course vandalism has been absolutely rife. There is graffiti everywhere, but that is the least of the problems. Every window below rock-throwing level has been smashed, external light fittings have been destroyed -
Mr Booth – There’s broken asbestos as well on the site.
Mr FERGUSON – My colleague, the member for Bass, Mr Booth, says there is asbestos, so that would be something of concern to the Minister for Workplace Safety who is in the room. Every window has been broken, external light fittings have been destroyed, there are wires exposed, and I can only hope that the power has been disconnected. Even walls that are made from sort of fibro-type cladding material – and I hope that is not the asbestos – has been smashed and removed, which has allowed vandals to break into the rooms. They have destroyed internal facilities and it has allowed water damage to occur.
What a shocking waste of taxpayer asset and value. That is all due to this Government’s absolute failure to care, its failure to plan for an appropriate new use for these facilities. If they are not wanted they should be offloaded to a suitable community enterprise, a job-creation enterprise, for example, to take over the site. Even if it was for nothing more than a peppercorn rent, at least to have had somebody there as a full-time caretaker on that site would have avoided the vandalism that has occurred, no doubt at the hands of just a small number of people.
Anecdotally, I am told by residents that it is known who has done the vandalism and that they are some kids who are at a loose end, and that is a shame in itself, but meanwhile the damage is occurring. What is interesting is that the windows and the doors are all boarded up with some quite large piece of ply so it looks as though those entrances and windows are protected from vandalism, but they were put on after the vandalism occurred. It is quite ridiculous; they have closed the door after the vandals have bolted. If it was not so tragic it would be laughable and of course, as we all now listening here to this would know and recognise, the Government and the department should have secured that site on the day that the school vacated it.
What to do now? I would have to say that although the loss of value has already occurred, the best outcome now would be to dispose of that property in a way that either adds economic value and job recreation enterprises to the local community. I should not have to say that this is one of the most economically depressed communities in the State. It certainly is the poorest community in my electorate.
An alternative is to sell it to a willing buyer, which is what I understand the Government wishes to do, but that needs to be done in a way so that the taxpayer can be at least reimbursed for some of the cost of the new buildings across the road which I understand was always the Government’s intention. That, Mr Booth, is from a letter I received from the minister on 18 June in response to a letter I had written to her on 28 April, where she says that the site will be offered for sale to other government agencies in the first instance or if there is no interest the property would be marketed and offered for sale by a public process. I can see to date no evidence that that has occurred unless it has occurred in the very recent history.
I just want to say tonight what a terrible shame and what a bad example to set in the community. Frankly, I just do not accept that this could have happened in many other parts of the State. I think it shows a terrible disregard to that community and, frankly, Mr Deputy Speaker, Rocherlea does not have much. It has a football club – and a great one at that – but, apart from that, very minimal community facilities. Take a look at the skate park some time; it has about two little half-pipes.
That community needs more support. I am calling on this Government to give it the support that it needs and I demand that the minister get some better advice to show some concern, get off its hands and stop allowing the destruction of taxpayer value on the assets but, more importantly, to show some support to that community which has some great people there who want to make life better for its young people and its citizens, and I particularly name the Rocherlea Football Club, who have great plans for the gym.
