Page 1465 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 17 April 1991
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Pearce Primary School Buildings
MR JENSEN: My question is directed to Mr Duby, in his capacity as Minister for Finance and Urban Services, and it concerns the current situation on the allocation of space to the community groups in the old Pearce Primary School. Mr Duby will recall that that school was closed by a Federal Labor Government. I wonder whether the Minister is in a position to give the Assembly an indication as to what, if any, decisions have been taken on the use of that school building.
MR DUBY: I thank Mr Jensen for the question. As members will recall, in July of last year the Government announced that the buildings formerly occupied by the Pearce, Rivett and Higgins primary schools would be made available for unsubsidised community use. My department was nominated to manage the process of tenanting the properties and seven ads were placed in the Canberra Times from August 1990 to mid-September seeking expressions of interest from organisations interested in being considered for accommodation in the school buildings. Some 48 applications were received. Subsequent to those expressions of interest being sought, the Hudson inquiry into proposed school closures recommended that the Rivett and Higgins schools be retained in use as public schools. So, subsequent to that, 10 organisations withdrew their expressions of interest because the location of the Pearce school did not suit their needs.
In January this year I announced the formation of a Community Space Committee to consider the applications and to recommend to the Government which applicants should be offered accommodation in Pearce Primary School. That committee comprised three community representatives and four government representatives. They were Peter Tinson, from the Estate Management Unit in my department; Joanne Marsh, executive director of the Belconnen Community Centre; Ian Maclean, formerly of the ACT Council of Cultural Societies; Pat Dart from the ACT Netball Association; Lance Fellows from the Corporate Services Division of the Ministry for Health, Education and the Arts; Margo Rushton from the Housing and Community Services Bureau of the Department of Justice and Community Services; and Lisa Paul from the Social Policy Branch of the Chief Minister's Department.
That committee assessed applications for space at Pearce and has submitted its report. It recommended a number of organisations which will be allocated space at Pearce school, and it also recommended that the initial rent at Pearce school be $60 per square metre per annum for non-profit community groups and $112 per square metre for other users. It also recommended that tenants be required to form a board of management to manage the property.
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