State Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong MP, says the Baird Liberal Government has shamelessly run Hurlstone Agricultural High School into the ground with a $2.6 million maintenance backlog from 2015 to 2016, in a deliberate attempt to bolster the school’s ‘makeover’ in the Hawkesbury.

“Neglecting Hurlstone was always part of the Baird Liberal Government’s game plan, just as it was to sell off the Farm to developers and rob south west Sydney of one of its most iconic, historically significant and top ranking high schools,” Mr Chanthivong said.

“Hurlstone’s staggering maintenance backlog bill is indicative of just how little the Baird Liberal Government cared about the future of the school at Glenfield. Truth is – it never did. The Government’s agenda was only ever to run the school down and sell off the Farm to developers, paving the way for the school’s move to the Hawkesbury.

“The Baird Liberal Government has used the school as nothing more than cheap political spin, which is really shameful stuff.

“Hurlstone students have been dealt enough blows, without having to also contend with the school’s state of disrepair purposely set in motion by the Baird Liberal Government.  

“The school’s ‘makeover’ in the Hawkesbury will come at a great cost to our community and the wider south west Sydney region. Rest assured, I won’t ever let that lie, just as I will not ever give up the fight for our fair share,” Mr Chanthivong said.  

Hurlstone Agricultural High School ranked second among Sydney’s most neglected high schools for 2015-2016, with a maintenance backlog of $2,693,879. Marsden High School ranked first with a $2,882,626 backlog.

The NSW school maintenance backlog has grown by more than $43 million in just 12 months, despite the Department of Education budgeting $342 million for maintenance in schools in 2015-2016, of which $80 million was supposed to address the backlog.