More student hostels are needed in the South West, Holt
Author: Colin Holt
Published on: 28-March-2011
Nationals’ member for the South West Region Hon. Colin Holt recently met with concerned local members of the Bunbury community who are working hard to secure new hostel accommodation for school aged children in Bunbury.
The aim is to convert Paterson House into a residential accommodation complex for local students who attend either Bunbury high schools or who attend South West Institute of Technology and are of school age.
Paterson House is located near the grounds of the South West Institute of Technology and currently has accommodation for 40 students, with capacity to expand in the future.
“Providing greater accommodation opportunities for High School aged students who are attending either local high schools or the South West Institute of Technologywill allow South West students to remain closer to home, and will help make higher education more attainable for South West students”
“Projects of this nature are integral and lead to stronger schools, communities and families. The benefits of children being able to stay close to home and receive visits on weekends and important days like birthdays and sport carnivals from loved ones is hard to quantify”
“Paterson House is a fantastic building well suited to student accommodation, it will require funding to refurbish it and get it student ready, but the benefits of allowing South West children to remain in the South West opposed to going to Perth for schooling is immeasurable”
“Many Bunbury High schools run specified courses which attract students from across the South West to Bunbury, with increased residential hostel accommodation more children will be able to remain in Bunbury opposed to going to Perth for further High School opportunities”
“I have raised this project with the Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls and the Minister for Training, Peter Collier. Both Minister Grylls and I see the benefits of improving the delivery of hostel accommodation in Bunbury, this improves the availability of education to country students and allows students to stay closer to home which can only be positive,” said Mr Holt.
“This is a highly valuable and viable project and I will be talking to all the relevant Ministers at the State Government level to ensure this project is firmly placed on the agenda going forward.”
“I recently toured the site with concerned stakeholders and saw firsthand a facility that with a bit of work would be an asset of huge benefit to the whole South West”
