School hall on track

THE foundations for Pakenham Consolidated School’s $3 million multi-purpose hall were laid this week.
The hall, which will contain a full-sized basketball court, performing arts stage, computer centre and home economics room, was funded by the Federal Government’s Building the Education Revolution Program.
Principal Tanya Evans said the new facility should be completed around the September school holidays, depending on the weather.
“It is crucial for us to have this space as we have the Australian Champion aerobic team, boys and girls dance groups and over 100 kids learning instruments. It will be an outlet for them to perform in a professional setting,” she said.
The hall will also offer a flexible learning space for the school’s 550 students, with an interactive whiteboard, at least 30 new computers and facilities to cook meals using produce from the school’s vegetable garden.
Christine Maxfield, Labor candidate for the Federal seat of McMillan, visited the site this week.
Ms Maxfield said McMillan MP Russell Broadbent was “more concerned about the process of how the Rudd Labor Government’s Economic Stimulus Package works rather than what it has actually achieved here in Pakenham.”
“The current Liberal Federal Member has not supported this package and I encourage him to look for himself at the possibilities that these Pakenham families now have with this Rudd Government initiative,” she said.