The Hunter River Times

BY JEM ANSHAW

The sale of the Scone TAFE put a spanner in the works for a community discussion on the proposal last week.

The site at Flemington Drive is now owned by Racing NSW who intend to develop it to to include a world class equine education facility.

Wednesday’s session was intended to be held as a community consultation activity but, with the sale finalised just a day prior, the gathering became about determining what happened and what the community options are from here.

The Berejiklian government had informed organisers that a representative would be present at the event but upon announcement of the sale being finalised they reneged their RSVP.

Following the community consultations NSW Labor will demand the money from the sale is reinvested back into the Scone community and will also refer the questionable sale process to the Auditor-General and work to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into the sale.

It was back in July last year that Racing NSW approached the government to buy the site and a month later the decision was made to sell.

The site went on the market on August 7 and on March 30, the $4million sale was finalised.

It is understood TAFE have just six weeks from March 30 to vacate the site.  The option to use a wool grading shed on site is untenable as there is no technology or amenities.

NSW Teachers Federation president Angel Gavrielatos said opportunities were being decimated.

“We hear about the skills shortage quite frequently by politicians, yet rather than investing in skills training we are decimating opportunities,” Mr Gavrielatos said.

“We need to invest and expand opportunities in order to tackle the skills shortage so that we can deliver on the skills that are required in each of our communities,” he said.

NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay said in a town like Scone, there should be opportunity to have an education and develop skills.

“You shouldn’t have to leave the area because they close a campus and that is the situation we have now.”

Greens MP David Shoebridge was also vocal in the debate.

“This is politics failing a local community. The mandate that our members want is very clear, they want TAFE to be TAFE. They actually want a TAFE facility with TAFE teachers giving hands on training, quality training, so people leave with not just a piece of paper that says they have got skills but actually leave with the skills that are needed to get a job.”

What The Community Said

• “Particularly in the agriculture industry the standards that we need every year seem to be getting higher and higher. To fall behind and have particularly injury related issues with people that aren’t trained enough is pretty scary so you can’t drop the reigns on it.”

Tom Hunt (Scone Rouchel NSW Farmers Branch)

• “The biggest effect I think having a TAFE go from a regional or remote area is the kids on the road travelling. For me that is not an option – to have it in your own town is the only option. It’s not a nice trip to go from Scone to Newcastle, and it is getting worse.”

Bronwyn Dunston (CWA Hunter Group President).

• “The big issue is that our children will have to leave and why should our children have to leave to get an education. Some people can’t get on a train, they have got children, or they haven’t got the finances to do this. So, what happens? They are going to end up staying on their government allowances, they are not going to be able to improve themselves even though they want to.”

Lee Watts (Scone Neighbourhood Resource Centre).