The near 100-year-old Yanco Agricultural High School, in a landmark announcement by the NSW Government today, is set to receive funding to upgrade its aging student accommodation.
The announcement follows a prolonged campaign by parents, the study body and Member for Murray Helen Dalton.
“Last year, at my invitation, the Minister for Education and Early Childhood, Sarah Mitchell, and I visited Yanco Agricultural High School to see firsthand the state of the boarding facilities” Wes Fang MLC said.
“We met with student leaders, teachers and staff and the Minister and I both agreed on the need for an upgrade to the student accommodation and committed to start the planning process.
"Today, following this process, the Nationals in Government have delivered on our promise and, as part of a $2.1 billion 2021-2022 budget allocation, will fund the development of upgraded boarding facilities.
“I have been knocking on doors on Macquarie Street to ensure Yanco Ag receives this funding and I am absolutely delighted the NSW Government has committed to upgrading the female dormitories as part of the 2021-2022 NSW Budget.
“The school, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2022, has a key role in attracting and retaining regional and rural students, particularly females, to the agriculture industry.
“I want our public boarding students to benefit from the best facilities possible and these upgrades will encourage more students to live and learn in regional NSW.
“Yanco Ag is one of four public specialist agricultural high schools in the State, and the only rural school to offer boarding places to female students.
“With this funding, the future of Yanco Ag is secure for many years to come."
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said this year’s budget takes the school building pipeline to a record $7.9 billion investment with 215 new and upgraded schools, continuing the government’s commitment to students across the state.
“This historic school building program began in 2017 and since then, we have spent more than $7 billion on new and upgraded schools," she said.
"The additional funds in this Budget grow the pipeline to $7.9 billion worth of investment in new and upgraded schools over the next four years, making this a $15 billion school building program.
"Across NSW, thousands and thousands of students are benefitting from new and upgraded schools, and this will continue under this government.”
The NSW Government is investing $7.9 billion over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.