A PROJECT worth more than half a million dollars could be in use by mid-2023 for agricultural students at the Home Hill High School following a question on notice in State Parliament by Member for Burdekin, Dale Last.
The response to the question, on when a new greenhouse and agricultural shed would be constructed and available to use, provided the long-awaited answers for the High School community and particularly students studying agricultural science.
“When concerns were raised that the project could drag out, I took the opportunity to raise those concerns with the Minister immediately, so it is great to hear construction will begin in the new year, with students able to utilise the new infrastructure from the second half of the year,” Mr Last said.
“There is a lot of hard work that goes into bringing projects like these to fruition, particularly in rural and regional schools, where advocacy and community partnerships are even more important in ensuring our youths have access to the same opportunities as those growing up in the south-east.”
Mr Last said at a time when emphasis is placed on STEM, programs that reflect the major industries in Home Hill were vital to ensuring those students who want to work in the agricultural industry are given the best opportunities to apply those classroom skills to a real-world environment.
“Being able to go to school and learn, hands-on, about the technology our farmers are currently able to utilise plays a big role in ensuring those students who want to pursue a career in our agricultural industry have the best start,” he said.
“It could be the difference between a student thinking about getting involved in the local agricultural industry after school and actually fostering a pathway into the industry. For students who already are experiencing life on the farm, it has the ability to show them how the science they are learning in the classroom can apply to the agricultural industry.”
