The Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong MP, has slammed Minister Piccoli’s recent announcement on the sale of Hurlstone Agricultural High School, labelling it a disgrace.

“It’s a blatant cash grab by the Baird Government that makes a mockery of the hard-fought, decade-long battle to save Hurlstone,” Mr Chanthivong said.  

“This Government is intent on selling off everything in its sight. It’s also further evidence of Piccoli’s mismanagement of our state’s education budget that he has to ‘sell off the farm’ to pay for new schools.

“The sale of Hurlstone shows utter contempt for the people of my electorate and South West Sydney, who see Hurlstone as an intrinsic part of the community’s heritage and an important part of its future.

“This decision also flies in the face of the independent Peters Inquiry in 2009, which recommended abandoning plans to sell the majority of farm land from the school site. The then Labor Government accepted the findings of this report, cementing the school’s future.

“But now the Liberal Baird Government is set to turn this around and sell off the farm, disadvantaging young people in south west Sydney and denying them access to a world-class agricultural education.

“The Government is intent on seeing open space swallowed up by developers to make some quick bucks, whether it be Hurlstone or Scenic Hills. But I vow to continue the fight alongside my community to see that this appalling decision is revoked,” Mr Chanthivong added.