Page 437 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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predominantly by the commonwealth education department, and at the time of that move we were only able to get a certain number of floors, which meant that we could accommodate a large section of the Department of Education and Training but not all staff. The additional staff were then accommodated across the road at the Macarthur House annex. People who are familiar with that intersection know that you have the ABC studios on one side, 220 Northbourne Avenue, which I think has TOWER Software at the front, and then diagonally across the road is Macarthur House. The bulk of Macarthur House is filled with staff from the Department of Territory and Municipal Services. It is an ACT government owned building. It has an annex, the Macarthur House annex. That is where the department of education staff work.
In recent times additional floors have become available at 220 Northbourne Avenue, so this move was made to ensure that we could move the Education staff who were in the Mac House annex across with the rest of their colleagues into 220 Northbourne Avenue, thereby freeing up the Mac House annex for the new Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water. What happens to the fit-out and all of the associated work that was done in the Mac House annex is that it becomes available for the new department. However, we are required to fit out the additional space at 220 Northbourne Avenue. That is what this appropriation is for. So we have, if you like, saved money in the establishment of the new department by moving them into an area previously occupied by Education, and we have consolidated the Education staff in the one building as much as possible. Of course there are other Education and Training staff at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and the BSSS and the staff and teaching recruitment area, which is part of Higgins primary school, but as much as possible the philosophy behind this is to consolidate staff in like areas and to reduce as much as possible the rental cost to the government in the longer term by locating the new department in the Mac House annex.
In relation to the other aspects of this appropriation, the grants for school parent groups, why the urgency? We did indicate during the election campaign that we would deliver these grants in this financial year. Passing this section of the appropriation bill tonight means that these grants will be available for schools, government and non-government—all schools—parents and citizens associations, parents and friends associations and pre-school parent associations at the beginning of the 2009 school year.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (9.58): The Greens generally support this appropriation in the bill and the timing of the allocation to coincide with the new school year. Much of the work undertaken by parent groups and teachers to get schools up and running occurs very early in the new year and they need to factor in this most welcome additional funding into their work plans. It would therefore seem reasonable to include the grants for school parent groups in this bill so that schools and school parent groups are able to begin their planning knowing this funding is on the way for February. There have been some concerns expressed to my office about the process for the allocation of the money, so I would ask the minister and the department to ensure good process and to take into account changes to P&C councils in the new year, particularly in west Belconnen.
The Treasurer’s office have advised that this funding can be used for any project or projects to improve their local school. The Australian Education Union welcomes this
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