Page 4833 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 October 2010
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and electrical services for all school buildings; structural steel for all school buildings; and roofing, brickwork and cladding for half of the buildings. Excavation work for the BER-funded environment centre has started. A temporary office has been established at Urambi primary school for the co-principals of the new school.
I turn now to Harrison secondary school. The $47 million secondary component of Harrison school will include specialist teaching areas for the performing arts, technology, science and the arts. The middle school buildings will be delivered by mid-2011 and the remaining buildings will be ready for the start of the 2012 school year. The school will provide an inclusive setting for students with special needs to integrate into mainstream educational programs.
In summary, we are investing in new schools where they are needed most.
The government are also focused on the community and performing arts. We have built or funded three performing arts centres. One is complete, at Lyneham high school. One is currently under construction, at Calwell high school. And a third one, at Canberra college Woden campus, is in the design stage.
I would like to report that the $6 million performing arts centre at Lyneham high school is now functional. It is open for students and community groups. I and, I understand, a number of other members of the Assembly, have had the opportunity to attend performances at the new performing arts centre. The centre has permanent seating for 275, removable tiered seating for an audience of 500, a hearing loop, a new music room with five practice areas, an open air courtyard and a band room for 110 performers.
The $5 million performing arts project at Calwell high school is due to be completed at the end of this month. Canberra college’s $7.6 million performing arts centre will be ready for the start of the 2012 school year.
I am looking forward to seeing many community and school performances in these new buildings. I am sure that other members, when they get the opportunity to see these facilities, will realise what a fantastic asset they are for the schools and for the local communities.
Increasingly, environmentally friendly building design and construction are becoming part of the way we do business. Solar panels have been installed at Evatt primary school, Kingsford Smith school, Theodore primary school and Gordon primary school. These schools are already feeding electricity back into the grid and benefiting from the territory’s feed-in-tariff. Eighteen schools have also installed water tanks—with more schools to benefit this year from the $2 million ACT government investment in water conservation. Work was also undertaken during the 2009-10 financial year to protect the heritage trees at the Ainslie school.
Experts tell us that the early years are some of the most important. In 2009-10, building works at the early childhood schools in Lyons, Narrabundah, Isabella Plains and Scullin have been completed. Enrolments are strong and this unique school model is proving very popular with parents in these communities. We have commenced
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