Page 310 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 9 February 2021
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these schools, and you have not addressed which schools they are. You have not listed them. That information is yet to be provided, and teachers and parents remain in the dark. Minister, why will you not tell parents if their child’s school is affected by hazardous materials and advise parents what is being done in each school to ensure that their children are not exposed?
MS BERRY: I thank Mr Hanson for the question. Mr Hanson knows, and I have repeatedly said, that the number of schools that have hazardous materials—and that includes lead paint—is 73. Those schools have hazardous material plans and fact sheets at the front office. All those school communities can access those fact sheets at any time, and that is the best way to get the most informed information about what is going on in an individual school.
I would rather not have individual schools notified or have fingers pointed at them or a scaremongering project conducted by the Liberal Party on an issue that is being dealt with, based on advice from the experts. I absolutely cannot agree with the question that parents and school communities are not aware. They can be aware; they can go to their schools and they can access that information.
MR HANSON: Minister, will you provide that information to parents so that they are aware of what is affected in their school and what is being done to address it, rather than requiring them to all go to the front desk and dig for that information?
MS BERRY: I think I have answered the question already: the information is available. They do not need to dig for it; they need to just ask for it from the front office.
MR PARTON: Minister, when will the hazardous materials be removed and remediated from these 70-odd schools, and at what cost?
MS BERRY: The ACT government takes its advice on the management of lead paint in our schools from the experts. The experts will guide the work that the ACT government has committed to, with the $15 million, which will be prioritised across schools that need that remediation done more immediately.
The experts tell us that the best way to manage lead paint in schools is to encapsulate it with non-lead paint. That ensures that it is safe for students, teachers and the school community to occupy those school environments. The ACT government always acts on the advice of experts. In this case we have set up a task force within the Education Directorate and we have set up an expert panel to guide us and guide the task force in managing lead paint in our schools, as is appropriate, based on expert advice.
Gungahlin—swimming pool
MR BRADDOCK: My question is to the Minister for Sport and Recreation. Minister, the Gungahlin pool tiles first started falling off in June 2020, causing the closure of this much loved and utilised pool. Can you please provide an update to the Assembly on the government’s management of this issue.
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