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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (10 May) . . Page.. 1373 ..

MR OSBORNE: My question is to the Minister for Education, Mr Stefaniak. Over the last few years the use of temporary buildings as classrooms for schools, especially in the south of my electorate, has been on the increase. With that increase has come a growing concern from parents about the temperature variation in the temporary buildings between summer and winter. I heard the Chief Minister on radio last week being questioned about variations in temperatures in classrooms. During this interview the Chief Minister said that she would look into that. Could you tell me whether she has contacted you about getting better control of the temperature variations in the temporary classrooms?

The Chief Minister also suggested that the buildings be airconditioned, but failed to say who would pay for that. Do schools have to pay for heating and cooling of temporary buildings out of their budgets, rather than the department? Also, I understand from this interview that Gordon Primary School's demountables have had readings of as high as 42 degrees during the hotter months. The caller also said that a temperature of 36 degrees was recorded as late as April. Could you tell me what are the heating and cooling safety standards? Are you aware that the ACT public occupational health and safety policy says that airconditioned rooms need to be kept between 20 and 24 degrees? There were lots of questions there, but I think you got the point, minister.

MR STEFANIAK: There were lots of questions there, Mr Osborne. If the Chief Minister said on Friday that she would look into that matter and she does as a result of that talkback show, I would usually get anything that is relevant to my area pretty quickly indeed. I cannot recall seeing that, but I am sure that she has done so because she has always done so in the past if that occurs, so I would not worry about that one.

In terms of airconditioning generally, Mr Osborne, the department certainly is very mindful and, indeed, schools are very mindful of ensuring when there are extremes of temperature that those things are looked into and sorted out if need be. Indeed, schools are given sums of money each year to do basic maintenance-look after basic things like heating and cooling costs. That comes out of the enhanced school-based management. We give schools at this stage about $26 million a year to cover a number of things, including those.

You mentioned a range of temperatures, Mr Osborne. I am interested especially to hear your example of Gordon primary being up to 42 degrees. That, clearly, would be of great concern. It is something that, until you mentioned it, I was not aware of, but I will certainly look into it.

MR OSBORNE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I have a copy of the transcript of that interview, which I will hand over to Mr Stefaniak. I seek leave to table it, Mr Speaker, just in case anyone else wants to look at it.

Leave granted.

MR OSBORNE: Minister, could you just explain to me what type of monitoring is done of classrooms? Will you undertake to monitor regularly all demountable classrooms in the future, so as to ensure that all are within the guidelines set by the OH&S act?

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