Aquilina snubs Seaforth idea

By Lolita Barratt

Education Minister John Aquilina has rejected a proposal to operate a community college with a TAFE component at the Seaforth TAFE site.

Seaforth TAFE was closed late last year, to the disgust of teachers, students and locals and the Save Seaforth campaign has been fighting to re-open the TAFE facility ever since.

On August 3, Federation and the Labor Council met with Mr Aquilina on August 3 to discuss the proposal. This meeting was organised by the Labor Council for Federation.

At the August 3 meeting the Minister showed interest in the proposal so much that the Federation delegates came out of the meeting feeling optimistic.

It was agreed at this meeting that the Minister would respond to Federation's proposal through Labor Council Assistant Secretary Mark Lennon.

But, the Minister bypassed both the Labor Council and Federation and responded directly, by letter, to the Federation delegates from Seaforth who attended the meeting.

The response from the Minister to Federation's delegates, rejecting the proposal, did not indicate what was going to happen to the Seaforth TAFE site.

The Save Seaforth TAFE Committee has met since and is determined to keep up the fight.

Come and join us in the fight to save a public education facility and email your concerns to the Premier, Mr Bob Carr on bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au.

There will be a public rally on Sunday December 10 at 12.30pm at outside Seaforth TAFE to mark one year since the picket line began (the college was closed on December 15, 1999).

Lolita Barratt is a TAFE Organiser

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