Funding pledged for Geelong Lutheran College, Mount Duneed school, Iona College, Belmont High

A school due to be built at Mount Duneed and another at Armstrong Creek will share in millions from the state government. See the details.

Geelong Lutheran College at Armstrong Creek will receive millions from the state government. Pictured are 2021 captains Grady Bell and Owen Wallace. Picture: Alison Wynd

Schools in Belmont and Charlemont would share in $19m if the Coalition was elected to government at the November 26 state election.

This week the state government also revealed it had allocated more than $9.5m to three non-government schools in the South Barwon electorate.

Liberal candidate for South Barwon, Andrew Katos, said under the Coalition promise Belmont High School would be given $14m for a redevelopment, while Iona College in Charlemont would receive $5m.

Liberal candidate for South Barwon Andrew Katos

South Barwon State MP Darren Cheeseman. Picture: Alan Barber

Mr Katos said Belmont High opened in 1955 and many of its buildings were not fit-for-purpose and conducive to a modern learning environment for close to 1300 students.

Under the state government allocation, a Catholic primary school to be built in Feehans Rd, Mount Duneed, would get $4.85m.

The funding would help establish learning areas and an administration area at the school.

The state government estimates the school will open by start of the 2025 school year.

Other schools to benefit from the state government funding allocations include:

GEELONG Lutheran College, Armstrong Creek –$2.8m to build a multi-level year 11 and 12 learning centre, which will include breakout learning spaces, a year 12 common space and a presentation room; and,

CHRISTIAN College, Torquay –$2m for a redevelopment including construction and refurbishment of an administration building to create offices, meeting rooms, a sick bay, storage and more areas for staff. The money will also contribute to building two learning areas, a gymnasium, changerooms and offices.

South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman said due to the scale of population growth at Mount Duneed, the government needed to invest to meet demand.

More than one-third of students in Victoria attended Catholic or independent schools, the government said.

Mr Cheeseman said the state government was ahead of schedule in opening 100 new schools by 2026, with 75 new schools opening across Victoria between 2019 and 2024.

Mr Katos said the money for Belmont High would assist in delivering spaces for sport, science, arts and technology classes, and help build a new library.

Mr Katos, a past student of Belmont High, said the Coalition would work with the school from next year to determine which parts of its master plan were its highest priority.

Under the Coalition pledge for Iona, the school would be expanded through a redeveloped main building and more classrooms to allow it to cater to more students.

“This is a critical investment that students and the Iona College community will benefit from in the years to come,” it said.

Originally published as Funding pledged for Geelong Lutheran College, Mount Duneed school, Iona College, Belmont High