Scone TAFE forum: “Keep the money here”

LAST night the Scone TAFE forum, Scone Neighbourhood Resource Centre Manager Lee Watts told the community, “it’s not over and we need to fight to make sure we keep that money here in whatever form we can.”

“We should be telling them how we want to use the sale money. It’s not about them coming in and saying ‘we’re going to give you this,'” said Lee Watts.

Shadow Minister for Skills and TAFE Jihad Dib previously invited Minister for Skills and Education Geoff Lee to a public TAFE debate in Scone to discuss the TAFE campus sale and the future of TAFE education in Scone and surrounds.

Minister Lee declined the invitation last week, saying he would not dignify a “union rally” and will instead wait to have the debate in Parliament.

“I’m not going to play their political games or support their lies, they’ve been misleading people on this sale for a long time now, we’ve called them out on it I wont dignify their union rally,” said Mr Lee.

Mr Dib said the Ministers decision to not turn up displayed a lack of courage.

“His simple response is the Shadow is spreading lies and a scare campaign. What lie is there when I’m actually saying quite clearly that the TAFE was sold for $4 million? It was less than the replacement cost. Worse than that, they were prepared to accept $3 million,” Mr Dib said.

In Minister Lee’s absence, the TAFE debate converted to a second community forum, with community members discussing the following issues:

• The TAFE campus being sold for $4 million when it could have been sold for an estimated market value of $19 million;
• Spending the additional $1 million of sale revenue in Scone, with locals dictating where that money is spent instead of being told where it will go;
• Keeping the existing courses offered in Scone, particularly the world class farrier courses and agriculture and farming courses, as some locals may find it difficult to travel to other course locations, which may deter people from enrolling;
• Connected Learning Centres should compliment existing TAFE’s and the ‘multi-trade hub’ at the Scone CLC may not provide adequate room for all trade training;
• The question of which TAFE courses would remain on offer at 2 Flemington Drive;
• The possibility for TAFE to be sold in Quirindi and Singleton alongside concerns of growing TAFE privatisation;
• TAFE teachers are currently writing off books and equipment, throwing them into the bin or giving materials to the Muswellbrook TAFE.
• The Auditor General has been contacted in regards to the legalities of the sale process.
• The Country Women’s Association will be writing to the Minister about their concerns for the future of TAFE education and training in the Upper Hunter.

During the forum it was confirmed TAFE will still be delivering block release courses, farrier courses and agriculture courses at the 2 Flemington Drive site for the current enrolment period.

Students and teachers will now remain in classrooms as well as E block and some rural and trade courses such as welding may move to Muswellbrook TAFE.

TAFE will remain on site for at least another year and will then make a decision to extend the lease for a further two years. TAFE has also engaged in conversation with Racing NSW about which courses will remain on site as the lease progresses.

Mr Dib said there is no real plan between TAFE and Racing NSW about the future of courses and is concerned the Singleton and Quirindi TAFEs may be sold next.

“There is no real plan. The only plan I think there is, is the privatisation of TAFE . . .remember governments run education as a service to be able to skill people for employment opportunities required by the community. A business operator will run their education service to make a profit,” Mr Dib said.

“Scone was number 18 of TAFE sales. Eighteen full or a partial TAFEs have been sold in the past five years,” he said.

“If I was living in the Upper Hunter, I’d be worried about Quirindi and Singleton. Why? Because both of those places have a CLC and I’m not going to take the Ministers word that he doesn’t have a plant to sell,” he said.

“We saw it with Scone, no community consultation, very little interest in what the community had to say,” said Mr Dib.

Labor Party candidate Jeff Drayton and Greens Party Candidate Sue Abbott also attended the forum. They questioned the governments attitude towards education and the legitimacy of the TAFE campus sale.

“The issue is a really simple one, we want what we had,” Jeff Drayton said.

“This is a much bigger issue than just the Scone TAFE decision, it just happens to be Scone’s turn at the moment,” Jeff Drayton said.

“We need to really put pressure on this government to change attitudes towards educating our young people. Ultimately, that’s their job. It isn’t a private businesses job, it’s the responsibility of the government and at the moment, they’re certainly not up to it,” he said.

Sue Abbott said: “It’s been undersold and we’re getting back a portion amount to build a shed on a suburban block, opposite Woolies at the CLC. Yes the CLCs are good and they do compliment proper TAFEs but it seems to be a pattern with the coalition that when they build a CLC, within 18 months to two years, the TAFEs are gone.”

“I’d just like to see the whole thing fall over and Racing NSW decide to give it back to us, clearly that probably isn’t going to happen,” she said.

“If I should be elected and even if I’m not elected, I’ll be working with anybody who wants to see what we can do to bring a proper TAFE back,” said Sue Abbott.

Both candidates agreed the missing $1 million sale revenue should be spent in Scone.

“They do need to get a better accountant, when you sell it for $4 million and they only give you $3 million back. If you sell if for four, we want four,” Jeff Drayton said.

“We’ve been sold out . .  It has to be dodgy,” said Sue Abbott.