Ongoing commitment needed to deliver on new Fremantle high school

After 18 months the Barnett Government has finally announced its plan for Fremantle schools, State Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk said today.

Ms McGurk said Hamilton Senior High School and South Fremantle Senior High School will be amalgamated to form the new Fremantle College.

“WA Labor and the Fremantle community have been calling for a Gifted and Talented Extension (GATE) academic excellence program to be part of a newly formed school,” Ms McGurk said.

“At the 2013 State Election WA Labor’s plan was to develop South Fremantle Senior High School as a selective science and technology GATE school.”

Ms McGurk said Fremantle families deserve a secondary school that offers a full range of Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) subjects.

“Fremantle families deserve the best in public education and the new Fremantle College must offer the full range of academic subjects,” Ms McGurk said.

“This announcement was the worst kept secret by the Barnett Government.

“The Barnett Government announced it was looking at school amalgamations in Fremantle 18 months ago, and now the new Fremantle College is more than 3 years away. This is a long time for families in Fremantle to wait.”

Ms McGurk said the Barnett Government must provide ongoing funding to Fremantle College, not just initial funds to amalgamate the two schools.

“The Government has said they will allocate $30 million to the amalgamated school. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the next State Budget to hold them to that promise,” Ms McGurk said.

“Fremantle families will want to make sure there is a definite and determined program for change at the new school. This is the next test for Government – to ensure that they get the implementation of the new Fremantle College right.”

Kaleeya Hospital closes its doors

The State Government has used the commissioning of the new Fiona Stanley Hospital to reduce quality health services in Fremantle, with Kaleeya Hospital closing its doors today.

Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk said maternity, neonatal and gynaecological services at Kaleeya would cease.

“The commissioning of the Fiona Stanley Hospital has led to the reduction of health services in Fremantle, including the pain management unit, the renal unit and the inflammatory bowel disease unit.

“Kaleeya Hospital is being sold off in the government’s asset sales, with no guarantee that any of the money will be put back into health or Fremantle services,” Ms McGurk said.

“Kalyeea will be remembered as a hospital for relaxed and intimate births. Practitioners have called for those sorts of services to continue.

“Maintaining a range of health services is important because we may regret the day when we realise we have closed these vital services,” she said.

“The people of Fremantle deserve a wide range of health services in their area.”

Ms McGurk said Fremantle Hospital’s Emergency Department also closes in February next year.

“This will not be the final chapter for Fremantle health, with the Emergency Department closing in February next year.

“Fremantle is an urban centre with nightlife and a working port, so health services, including an Emergency Department, are essential.”

Read more in last year’s article in the Freo Herald

Simone joins Road to Rail at Tier 3 rally

A protest at Parliament House today against the closure of the Tier 3 rail lines in the Wheatbelt has received backing from the Fremantle community, and Simone McGurk was there to show her support.

She joined the Fremantle Road to Rail campaign alongside by Willagee MP Peter Tinley and Kwinana MP Roger Cook to protest against the Barnett Government closing the important rail lines servicing agricultural areas in the South-West.

“It was particularly galling to see National MPs at the rally, as if they support communities in the Wheatbelt, who are rightly furious that the Tier 3 rail line will be closed,” she said.

“The Nationals are just as culpable as the Liberals, both whom made explicit commitments before the election that the rail line would be kept open.”

Barnett Government must provide leadership on Freo high school amalgamations

The Barnett Government is continuing to leave Fremantle parents and students in limbo, refusing to reveal its plans to amalgamate South Fremantle Senior High School and Hamilton Senior High School.

In a parliamentary grievance to the Premier, who arrived late to the chamber, Fremantle Labor MP Simone McGurk slammed the Government for creating uncertainty among the parents and students.

“The Fremantle community has a right to quality public high schools.  The amalgamation process gives an opportunity to deliver a quality school that can capitalise on the current strengths of the contributing schools, and on planned increased density in Fremantle.

“Leadership and a clear plan for reform are crucial if this amalgamation is to succeed. So far this has not been apparent, but it is not too late,” Ms McGurk said.

The Premier confirmed an earlier commitment that his Government would make an announcement by the end of the year.

Outside Parliament Ms McGurk was joined by a group of Fremantle parents, who had watched her grievance from the public gallery.

She called on the Government to make a sizeable investment in the amalgamated school, and to guarantee that there would be a wide range of university entrance subjects available to students.

Ms McGurk said high schools had suffered funding cuts as a result of the Government’s new funding model, highlighting that the new school needed the resources to make it greater than the sum of its parts.

“There has to be a very clear strategy and an allocation of resources to make sure that an amalgamated high school is the best the State has to offer,” she said.

Barnett Government inflicts pain on Freo patients

The wellbeing of dozens of Fremantle pain management patients has been put in jeopardy, with the Barnett Government cutting back staffing levels as it moves the clinic to the new Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Fremantle Labor MP Simone McGurk said the Government was cutting resources from the clinic’s STEPS program, which would mean that up to half the current team would not be relocated to the new hospital.

“This is an award-winning program which has made a material difference to the lives of hundreds of people who suffer from chronic pain.

“Patients speak of this non-drug approach to chronic pain management being crucial in them being able to function, and they are incredulous that the program is being cut,” Ms McGurk said.

She said the fact that Notre Dame University in Fremantle was about to appoint a new Chair in Chronic Pain education showed just how out of touch the Barnett Government was with the needs of patients.

“The Barnett Government must reinstate the full staff component of STEPS at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

“It seems completely nonsensical that years of multi-disciplinary experience will be lost when half the team are not relocated to the new hospital.

“It’s obvious that the Barnett Government is using the commissioning of the new hospital to cut existing health programs to fund their hopeless budget management.

“It’s disingenuous, and it’s playing with people’s lives,” Ms McGurk said.

Read more in the Fremantle Herald

Call for Fremantle grave to be heritage listed

As part of the Centenary of ANZAC and the commemoration events being held in Fremantle the seven graves and cremation plaques of Victoria Cross recipients should be placed on the State Heritage Register.

Nearly six months ago Labor Leader Mark McGowan called on the Barnett Government to ensure the graves and cremation plaques of seven VC recipients located in Western Australian cemeteries are appropriately recognised and heritage protected.

One of these seven VC recipients is Leonard Henry Trent, whose grave is at Fremantle cemetery.

Mr Trent was a Group Captain in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and was awarded a Victoria Cross for his efforts during WWII.

He participated in the “Great Escape” of 24 March 1944 although he was recaptured almost immediately. He received solitary confinement because of his immediate surrender outside the camp and survived the war in a POW camp.

After the war he moved to Forrestdale in 1965 and later to New Zealand where he died in 1985. His ashes were returned to WA and his grave is located at the Fremantle Cemetery.

His grave is not listed on the State Heritage Register.

Other deceased VC recipients in Western Australia cemeteries include:

·Private Martin O’Meara VC – Died 20 December 1935

· Private James Wood VC – Died 18 January 1963

·Lance Corporal Thomas Axford VC – Died 11 October 1983

·Private John Carroll VC – Died 4 October 1971

·Private James Gordon VC – 19 July 1986

·Private Leslie Starcevich VC – 17 November 1989

Comments from Simone McGurk MLA:

“As we approach the Centenary of ANZAC, the State Government should recognise the significance of these burial sites and ensure these men are remembered for generations.

“The Government has said there is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board and the Office of Australian War Graves and therefore the graves do not need heritage protection. This is not good enough.

“Bon Scott’s plaque in Fremantle cemetery is rightly heritage protected; our war heroes should also be recognised.

“The ANZAC centenary is an opportunity to give proper recognition to Mr Trent’s resting place.”