Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (22:15): Earlier today I met with the Minister for Education and Early Learning about the lack of school infrastructure in my community. At the outset I thank the Minister for the meeting, which has taken a number of years due to delays. I am very concerned about the lack of infrastructure. There are two areas that are big pinch points, and that includes Gillieston Public School in the primary sector. In the June budget the Government announced $1 million in funding towards the start of that project. Today the Minister confirmed that that will be for a full school rebuild, though she would not give us the budget for that because it is commercial‑in‑confidence. The school does not have proper fencing around it; it has only rural fencing. That upgrade will be completed, and they are working on the sewerage issue as a starting point. I really look forward to that, as does the community.

I pay special thanks to parents Katie Ferguson and Todd Sellers, amongst a number of others—I think there were about 30 or more—who made submissions on poor infrastructure at that school to the upper House committee inquiry. Some of those parents spoke to the committee and that has made a difference. I also put on record my concerns about the Thornton and Chisholm areas, which have been slated for massive growth for 20 years. In fact, in recent years the stamp duty that was collected from that postcode alone was bigger than any other postcode in the State other than the Sydney CBD because it obviously reflects the number of house builds in the area.

Melinda and Amanda, president and secretary of the Thornton Public School P&C, visited my electorate office to talk about the need for infrastructure at the school, which has 780 students and 11 demountables. Working from statistics and demographics, they have worked out that in the next three years there will probably be in excess of 1,000 students at that school and by 2030 it could rise to 1,600. Although there are 11 demountables, the site is about 22 acres, so there is space for expansion. However, the problem is the ministry whacks up another couple of demountables but it does not increase the number of toilets or the size of the canteen, library and staffroom—and that happens all the time in Maitland. Today the Minister and her staff told me that they will improve the common planning assumptions by using Medicare data on births in the area.

I must say to the education department that it must plan ahead much more quickly, because growth in the area is out of control. To the north of Thornton is the area of Chisholm, which has no public school—not one. It is a brand new suburb but it has no public school. There is a Catholic school that goes from preschool right through to year 12 but there is no State school, which is an absolute disgrace. Some 120 kindergarten students are enrolled at Thornton Public School next year and only two of those will be from out of area, so there is real pressure on that community. The Minister has said to me that they will work on a master plan to take to the next budget. I hope we get something before that, along with a real commitment from the Government going forward. The Government has not made a commitment in the eight years that I have been member for Maitland, nor in the years before I was elected, for any new schools.

Every single extra learning space that has come to Maitland has been a result of the blood, sweat and tears of me and the community. We have had to fight the Government to get those spaces. The situation is so bad at Thornton Public School that a support class of four students meets in a storage cupboard because they do not have any more learning spaces, and that goes for the whole school. Kids already face enough challenges having to work and study in those environments. I hope the Minister honours her promise and that we see a new primary school and high school in my area.