ESPERANCE Residential College has received a desperately needed injection of $1.5 million in funding from State Government to improve and expand its facilities. And, while everyone is grateful for the funding, some believe that more is still needed.

The money will be used to provide an additional 12 student bedrooms and a new two-bedroom staff unit, boosting the number of separate bedrooms for senior students from 14 to 26.

Two transportable buildings, donated second-hand three years ago, would be replaced.

Each of the two new student accommodation blocks will be self-contained and each will include a shared bathroom.

The funding has been allocated after the State Treasurer Troy Buswell visited the college recently and inspected the living conditions.

The work on the 96 student establishment, which has been operating for 40 years, is estimated to be competed by 2011.

Member for Mining and Pastoral Region Wendy Duncan said the contribution from the Government was an acknowledgement that work needed to be done.

“This is only the beginning and the Esperance Residential College will require at least another $10 million dollars to ensure the dining facilities, ablutions and staff accommodation are suitable for students from remote locations in the Great Southern, Goldfields, South-East and Nullarbor,” she said.

“I would like to thank the Treasurer Troy Buswell for spending time in Esperance and visiting the hostel to see with his own eyes the urgent need for an upgrade.

“I look forward to a more substantial allocation in next year’s budget.”

However Residential College manager Peter Jarzabek was thrilled with the news.

“We have been waiting for funding for the past five years.

“We have 96 students but the facility is built for 75.

“Now we will have a toilet and a shower per every nine students but we are aiming towards one to four ratio,” he said.

Mr Jarzabek said that more single rooms are still needed, as well as redevelopment of the front area and improvements to kitchen facilities.