THERE was plenty of noise in the Perth CBD on Tuesday morning as hundreds of protesters and a convoy of trucks descended on State Parliament in a bid to reverse the McGowan government’s decision to close the only country boarding facility between Perth and Geraldton.
Horns were sounded down St George’s Terrace and chants were cried to “save Moora College” to an audience of city workers, business owners and tourists before the crowd met politicians including Education Minister Sue Ellery, Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan, as well as the opposition parties on the steps of parliament.
As part of its budget repair measures, the State government announced the closure of the Moora Residential College (MRC) late last year, along with several other cuts to regional education.
Since then, the government has stood by claims it can’t afford to spend $8.7 million on an upgrade flagged for the MRC under the former Liberal National government, despite calls from the Moora community to forego the renovation.
Protestors called on Ms Ellery to reach a compromise with the Moora community and provide just $500,000 to keep the MRC open and avoid the ripple effect the closure would have on the school and students, along with families, businesses and the wider Wheatbelt community.
Central Midlands Senior High School (CMSHS) P&C president Tracey Errington said it could cost the State more money to close the MRC than to keep it open.
Ms Errington said after analysing the cost of extra bus services, redundancy payouts, redeployment costs and relocation incentives, the P&C estimated the price of closing the college would exceed $1.3m.
“To be budget repair there must be some savings involved – we actually estimate it will cost more to close it,” Ms Errington said.
“This is bigger than all of us and it’s about more than money, this is about country kids.
“We want you to stick to your Labor values and give our kids a fair go, a fair chance at being educated, a fair chance like kids in Perth get.
“It is not $8.7m and is most certainly not just 30 kids, look at all of the kids here today, this is the knock-on effect you chose to ignore.”
With the third highest occupancy rate of all eight State country boarding facilities, Ms Errington said the MRC consistently sat at 70 per cent capacity.
She said claims made by Premier Mark McGowan that the majority of the 26 MRC boarders lived closer to Geraldton or Northam residential colleges were false, with only six students closer to Geraldton and none closer to Northam.
Ms Errington said the decision had left students with few high school education options.
Year 11 student and MRC head boy Andy Penny addressed the crowd and described the facility as a “home away from home”.
His mother Samantha Ryan, who farms in Coorow, said the announcement of the college closure had left her family of nine in uncertainty territory.
“During this important time in Andy’s life – studying ATAR for year 11 and 12 – it is important that I am close, so he can call on me for guidance and support and also to be able to come home and be with us all,” Ms Ryan said.
“There’s uncertainty about Andy’s year 12 studies, but also uncertainty about my other six children that would eventually reside at the college to complete their high school years at Central Midlands High School.
“Do I have to drive in there every day, do I rent a house and uproot my kids from Coorow Primary?
“We have a farm to run and that’s not going to run if I have to leave?”
Moora Shire deputy president Louise House also took to the podium and urged the government to consider the implications of its decision on regional development and the Moora community.
Ms House said the Shire was disappointed with the level of engagement and support given to Moora and its residents and the decision would split families and deteriorate communities.
“Politicians and bureaucrats have shown no respect, nor understanding of the capacity, intelligence, integrity and resourcefulness of country people,” Ms House said.
“Business chooses to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the Moora Shire because we are the largest regional centre between Perth and Geraldton and the only one with a senior high school.
“Closing the Moora College will not just devastate these children and families you see before you, it will be a wrecking ball for our school, our community and our future.
“You take the college kids out of this school and the flow-on effect is catastrophic – funding is slashed, there’s a loss of teachers, subjects offered, and what about the kids left behind who have to learn physics on a computer?”
Ms House said the community was galvanised and would continue to fight for the reversal of the facility’s closure.
The Shire met with Mr McGowan after the protest but not before Ms Ellery had a chance to respond to the fiery crowd.
“When we started this process, like you I booed too when I discovered we needed to make up $40 billion of deficit that the previous government had left us,” Ms Ellery said.
“To make the residential facility viable and to attract more students so that we don’t need to rationalise, we would need to spend millions.
“We will work with every family to ensure that we understand exactly the best alternative that suits your family and we will assist you to reach that.”
