The Cook government's flagship $30 million election commitment to upgrade Como Secondary College has been revealed as significantly underfunded and still years away from being delivered, leaving the Perth community in limbo.
Broken Promise: Funding Shortfall and Timeline Blowout
An official briefing note, obtained by the opposition, exposes a major gap between the government's public promise and the project's reality. The document states that the $30 million pledged is "insufficient to deliver the full scope of works" initially announced for the college. Furthermore, construction is not scheduled to begin until at least the 2026-27 financial year, pushing the completion date far beyond the expectations of parents, students, and staff.
The upgrade was a central promise for the Perth electorate of South Perth during the 2021 state election campaign. The proposed works were intended to address critical infrastructure needs at the growing school, including new learning areas and facilities.
Government Under Fire for Lack of Transparency
Opposition Leader Shane Love has seized on the briefing, accusing the government of misleading the public. "This is a government that made a promise it knew it couldn't keep," Mr Love stated. He criticised the lack of transparency, arguing the community deserved to know the true cost and timeline from the outset.
The briefing note, prepared for the Minister for Education, outlines that the allocated funds will only cover a "revised scope" of works. This admission confirms that the original, advertised project cannot be built with the promised budget. The government now faces tough questions about what elements of the upgrade will be scrapped or scaled back.
Community Impact and Political Fallout
The delay and funding shortfall have direct consequences for the school community. With construction potentially three years away, current students may never benefit from the improvements, and the school must continue to manage with existing, potentially inadequate facilities. The situation has sparked frustration among local residents who voted based on this key infrastructure pledge.
This revelation places the Cook government under increased scrutiny regarding its management of election commitments and public infrastructure projects. It follows a pattern of concerns over cost blowouts and delays in other major projects across Western Australia. The handling of the Como Secondary College promise is likely to become a focal point for the opposition, challenging the government's credibility on delivering for education and for the suburbs of Perth.
The government has yet to publicly detail the revised scope of works or provide a definitive, fully-funded timeline for the project's completion.
