Access to high-quality public education is a fundamental right, particularly when you're training to work in a dangerous job. Working with horses is one of those jobs. The equine industry is a pillar of the Hawkesbury, estimated to be worth around $160 million per year. Formal training for those working in the industry helps to make sure everyone comes home safely at the end of their day—from the races, from shows or simply from holding horses for the farrier or leading them from the stables to the paddock.
The New South Wales government is undermining this valuable industry in the Hawkesbury by axing equine studies from Richmond TAFE. Under the Liberals' plan, a total of three racing industry courses and performance horse studies will go, and farriery will move into animal studies. It also means 12 dedicated TAFE teachers will lose their jobs. Slashing equine courses from Richmond TAFE has caused deep concern among the horse community in the Hawkesbury, from employers to students to teachers to former Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Darren Beadman, now working with global racing giant Godolphin. But I've also heard from people who might have a horse or two in the Hawkesbury who are simply worried about what the cuts will mean for the future of the region.
A rally held at the campus last Friday added many more voices calling for an end to these ridiculous proposed cuts. Among those was Brooke, a trainer at Hawkesbury Race Club who is responsible for 25 horses. She did her accreditation through TAFE. She said the closure of the equine course will not only mean it'll be harder to find workers to fill roles in her stables; it could also make the workplace more dangerous. Brooke says that TAFE teaches students horse management, how to manage wounds and how to spot injuries. There's a riding program so that students can also safely learn how to manage different horse temperaments. She told me that, if the course doesn't exist, they're going to have to learn on the job, but she fears that will lead to more workplace accidents, describing it as 'a strong possibility'. That's the fear from someone in the industry. Tara, who co-trains horses in the Hawkesbury, has employed students from Richmond TAFE. She just can't believe that the equine courses are being abandoned.
Graduate Montana tells me that, when she was 16, she travelled an hour each way by car with her mum to attend Richmond TAFE. She gained a valuable set of skills that landed her a job she loved in the racing industry. Here's what she says:
It gave me so many opportunities in the industry and if they stop the courses it's going to take those opportunities away from so many kids.
Sixteen-year-old Brianna is one of those kids. She's been riding since she was five and wants to turn her passion into a career. She was devastated when her application to study at Richmond this year was unsuccessful, and she came to the rally with her mum to support reinstating the courses. All students at the rally spoke of the extraordinary dedication of the TAFE staff—people who love sharing their passion for the animals and passing on their knowledge.
What's also concerning is what these cuts will mean for the future of the area. There are so many unanswered questions surrounding this move. With the viability of Richmond TAFE undermined, what is the future of that campus? What effect will the cuts have on the future of the local equine industry? And, if the industry heads elsewhere, will we see more development and the loss of what is now a prized rural lifestyle?
Access to quality vocational job training and education should be expanded, not dismantled. It's what an Albanese government would deliver, providing 465,000 free TAFE places. That's including 45,000 new places under our free TAFE plan. The Liberal-National government has cut TAFE and slashed apprenticeships for nearly a decade now, and we have 85,000 fewer apprenticeships and traineeships compared to 2013. That's what the government has done. Cuts like those happening in Richmond are part of the Liberals' privatisation by stealth, something we want to end by ensuring that at least 70 per cent of Commonwealth funding and Commonwealth vocational educational funding is dedicated to our public TAFE. Free TAFE will help rebuild industries hit hardest by the pandemic, like hospitality and tourism, as well as meet current and future needs in the care economy—things like child care, aged care, disability care, nursing and community services. Free TAFE will provide opportunities for school leavers in the new energy jobs and advanced manufacturing of the future, and only Labor will deliver that.
