A CAMPAIGN putting pressure on politicians to fund rest of the Warracknabeal Education Precinct has ramped up.
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The Finish What You Started campaign was launched in November last year by a group of passionate parents.
The group hopes to secure a meeting with Education Minister James Merlino.
The Warracknabeal Education Precinct will bring together the Warracknabeal Primary School, Warracknabeal Special Developmental School and Warracknabeal Secondary College onto one campus.
The precinct is currently half complete, with funding needed to complete stage two.
The campaign's main goal is to secure $16 million worth of funding to complete the project.
Campaigner and Warracknabeal Primary School parent Kate Liersch said the group would continue its fight to secure funding.
"We sent campaign postcards to James Merlino and Premier Daniel Andrews asking for them to address the funding. We have waited three months for a response," she said.
"We're getting the feeling like we're not a priority for them. This is primarily a state government issue, so it's really up to them to allocate the money.
"Labor has funded so many schools in Melbourne, which is great, but we really want to see some of that funding come our way too. There is about $16 million needed to complete the project, which isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things for the government."
She said the unfinished precinct had affected students across all three schools.
"The SDS is having to use some of the classrooms in the secondary college and have had to cut back on some of its programs. They are using the science lab in the secondary college for some classes which is not ideal," she said.
"Then the primary school students have been moved around a lot to accommodate children with disabilities, because a lot of the old buildings don't have access.
"The schools have also had to spend money on putting air conditioners in the old buildings, which are buildings that hopefully won't be needed once the project is complete. There is just a desperate need for new facilities."
The campaign's next steps are to meet with a political advisor about where the campaign can go further, and to organise a meeting with James Merlino.
"If we can't get a meeting soon, we will have to start making more noise," she said.
The Wimmera Mail-Times contacted Mr Merlino's office for comment and sent a number of questions.
The questions asked whether Mr Merlino was aware of the campaign, whether an interview with campaigners was being considered, and whether the government planned to address the funding shortfall.
The Mail-Times did not receive a response before deadline.
More information about the Finish What You Started campiagn can be found at www.finishwhatyoustarted.com.au.
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