Campaign against local school closure heats up

Southside residents are stepping up their public campaign against plans by the LNP state government to close Nyanda State High School, with an increasing number of locals getting on board to help save the school.

 

Locally, the Labor Party is continuing to work with concerned residents to campaign against the controversial move, with federal MP for Moreton, Graham Perrett, recently organising a successful community rally (pictured) and launching a petition.

 

Nyanda State High School is recognised for its excellent special education unit, has won a state-wide environmental award, and has forged strong links to local vocational industries. The decision to close the school has shocked not only teachers, students and parents, but also many local residents who want to see the school continue.

 

The LNP state government has come under sustained criticism over its plan to close nine schools, which has seen little warning and virtually no consultation. Some residents have questioned why a high-growth area such as Salisbury, where Nyanda State High School is located, will see its only high school closed.

 

A public meeting to further discuss the closure is scheduled to be held 18 June.

 

For more information about the campaign to save Nyanda State High School visit http://www.grahamperrettcampaign.com or phone the Office of Graham Perrett MP on (07) 3344 2622.

'Better Schools' initiative a hit with locals

Graham Perrett and Sandeep Sarathy

The local campaign to promote the Gillard Government's Better Schools initiative has received strong backing from local residents, with many signing a petition to express their support.

 

The petition, organised by Graham Perrett MP, Federal Member for Moreton, has been in circulation for several weeks and has been a visible feature of many recent street stalls.

 

Launched recently by the Prime Minister, Better Schools - The National Plan for School Improvement aims to 'help every Australian child receive a world-class education, no matter where they live, the school they attend, or their family background'.

 

Since being elected in 2007, Graham Perrett has been a strong advocate on education issues. "The National Plan for School Improvement aims to provide first-rate education for all school students, and to ensure that Australia becomes one of the top five countries in the world in reading, writing and maths by 2025. Isn't that a noble goal that we all support?", he recently told Parliament.

 

It is expected that the plan, which will see significant resources allocated to schools across the country, will be phased in over six years from 2014.

 

For more information about Better Schools, please visit http://www.betterschools.gov.au/

 

For more information about Graham's re-election campaign for Moreton, please visit http://grahamperrettcampaign.com/

LNP Bus Cuts Canned

Labor’s campaign against the LNP’s bus cuts has forced an embarrassing back down by State Transport Minister Scott Emerson, followed by a back hander by the Brisbane City Council.

In the face of a fierce community campaign facilitated by Labor, the Transport Minister abandoned his planned cuts, buck-passing the decision on future route changes to the Brisbane City Council.

Now the BCC has scrapped the Minister’s review process entirely and has promised to start route planning from scratch.

The announcement – made under the cover of national affairs - is a humiliating admission by Minister Emerson that he has failed to consult adequately, and that the LNP has failed local residents by planning to cut vital services.

It is also an admission that Minister Scott Emerson was wrong when he told Parliament recently, that the campaign spearheaded by South Brisbane MP Jackie Trad and Yeerongpilly Labor spokesperson Cam Crowther (pictured) was “a fear campaign” that only “Labor stooges” cared about.  The Minister told Parliament the community was not behind Labor’s campaign to protect local services, and then personally attacked Cam Crowther and Jackie Trad in the process.

Unfortunately, in Yeerongpilly, our State MP has not been able to credibly campaign to protect local bus services because he had previously spoken out in support of cutting the Transport budget and sacking Transport staff.

But when our local State MP let our community down, Labor stepped up its local campaign.

Labor has campaigned tirelessly to protect these services.  Cam Crowther organised volunteers to letterbox fliers along with a petition, and the community response was enormous.

However, the Transport Minister’s admission of failure marks only the first significant victory in the battle to stop the LNP bus cuts. The next challenge is to make sure the LNP-controlled Brisbane City Council properly consults on any future changes.

Given the LNPs form on service cuts, the fight is likely to continue.

Yeerongpilly Labor spokesperson Cam Crowther, and Moorooka Ward Cr Steve Griffiths, have already been working together to promote the local campaign against the cuts, and have committed to continue representing the interests of local commuters.