Council
26 June, 2026
Riordan calls for school funding following report
MEMBER for Polwarth Richard Riordan has called for more funding in schools across Corangamite after the Victorian Auditor-General’s latest report into the condition of government schools was released recently.
Each school is given a rating and a condition score, with many rural and regional schools either rated ‘poor’ or ‘worn’.
Within the Corangamite Local Government Area (LGA), only two schools including Derrinallum P-12 College are rated as ‘good’.
Mr Riordan said the findings were deeply concerning and confirmed what local students, parents, teachers and school communities had known for years.
“The Auditor-General’s report paints a bleak picture of the state of our schools, particularly in regional Victoria,” he said.
“It is simply unacceptable that three-quarters of the government schools assessed in Polwarth have been classified as being in poor or worn condition.
“Students in regional communities deserve the same quality learning environments as those in metropolitan Melbourne, yet this report shows they are being left behind.”
Camperdown College, Lismore Primary School and Skipton Primary School are all rated as being in poor condition.
Mr Riordan said the report also revealed a shocking lack of oversight by the Department of Education, with the condition of two schools in Polwarth recorded as unknown.
“How can the department be expected to maintain school facilities when it does not even know what condition some of its schools are in?” he said.
“It demonstrates a failure of basic asset management and a complete disregard for regional school communities.”
The Auditor-General found schools in regional and remote areas recorded poorer facility conditions than their metropolitan counterparts, highlighting a growing infrastructure divide across Victoria.
Mr Riordan said the government must immediately prioritise investment in regional school infrastructure and provide a clear plan to address the backlog of maintenance and renewal works.
“Regional families contribute just as much to Victoria as anyone else and should not be treated as second-class citizens when it comes to education funding,” he said.
“This report must be act as a wake-up call for the Allan Government.
“Regional Victorian students cannot afford to wait any longer.”
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