Victorian Government Capital Funding support for local Catholic schools

August 2024

Catholic Bishop of Sale and Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL) welcome Victorian Government Capital Funding support for local Catholic schools

The Catholic Bishop of Sale and Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale have welcomed the recent announcement by the Victorian Government to provide capital funding support to Catholic schools totalling $30 million across the Diocese.

The funding is to be provided under the Victorian Government Capital Funding Program (VGCFP 2023-24) for Non-Government Schools and is allocated through Catholic Capital Grants (Victoria) Limited.

Bishop of Sale, Most Reverend Greg Bennet, is delighted with the announcement of Victorian Government Funding support.

“As a significant provider of Catholic Education throughout the Diocese, we are delighted to continue our dedication and commitment to high quality Catholic education for many years ahead. The very essence of the Church’s presence in the field of education and schooling is to her mission to proclaim the Gospel by teaching to all Nations” (Matt 28).

Mr Paul Velten, Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, said Catholic Schools within the Diocese educate some 20,320 students.

“We are most grateful to the Victorian Government for its continued support and recognition of the importance of Catholic school capital infrastructure in our diocese through these grants.”

The following proposed Catholic school building projects, in growth areas of the diocese, will each receive funding of $6 million towards construction of each stage:

·         St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School, Clyde North: Stage 2

·         New Catholic Primary School (Cardinia Creek South), Clyde: Stage 1

·         New Primary School - St Oscar Romero Catholic Primary School, Drouin: Stage 1

·         New Primary School - St Oscar Romero Catholic Primary School, Drouin: Stage 2

·         St Angela of the Cross Catholic Primary School, Warragul: Stage 3

Mr Velten said new Catholic primary schools are needed in the rapidly growing areas of Drouin, Clyde, and Clyde North to cater for families seeking high quality and affordable Catholic education for their children.

The funding for Warragul’s St Angela of the Cross Primary School will assist in the construction of its third stage building works. This will provide additional general learning areas, student amenities, outdoor learning areas, external works and hard court, roof enclosure to existing hard court, playground, landscaping, car park extension and maintenance shed. The school which opened in 2021 with an enrolment of 32 students has risen to 215 enrolments this year.

Mr Velten said the vision for new Catholic schools and the expansion of existing Catholic schools in the Diocese is to provide education that provides a nurturing and faith-filled environment that will enable students to achieve their personal best.

It is anticipated the projects will commence in 2025.

The Diocese of Sale covers 38 Catholic primary schools and 7 Catholic secondary schools over a broad geographic area extending from Melbourne’s outer south-east suburbs of Narre Warren and Cranbourne, to Phillip Island, and right throughout Gippsland to Orbost in the east. A 39th Catholic primary school is currently under construction in the new Five Farms estate at Clyde North. The new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School is planned to open in January 2025.

Media Inquiries:

DOSCEL Media and Communications team 0417 534 232