Page 369 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012

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was ignored. The building had high levels of mould and parents withdrew their children because they were becoming sick. This is Canberra in the 21st century, Dr Bourke.

Last year up to a dozen schools faced the prospect of having to close if heatwave conditions had continued during school term. The AEU said at the time:

There are about 10-12 schools that we are concerned about each year. They are all about the same vintage and have the same sorts of problems, both with heating and cooling. Some classrooms had reached temperatures of 43 degrees in previous years.

I know that heating is just as much a concern for some schools, and it is hard for a parent of a child at Kingsford Smith school to be enthusiastic about iPad schools and energy efficient lighting when all they seek is support to keep their canteen open.

I note the size of the ACT maintenance budget and the amount spent on school infrastructure refurbishment. I accept that maintenance will always be a challenge when you have 65 per cent of schools aged 30 years or older. But I have to seriously question whether that money is being spent wisely when I get complaints from parents at Torrens school whose children came back to school last week to find that their school had their third new fence in as many years. I am aware of the arguments both for and against the erection of a security fence around schools, but I know of some schools that have had fences that are bigger and more dramatic than fences around many embassies where a genuine security risk exists.

But why has it taken three attempts to get the fence at Torrens school in the right place and made of the right materials, Dr Bourke? I understand the latest fence is mere centimetres from the previous fence which was deemed to be too close to the footpath. Three fences to address a security risk that is unknown to some members of the school’s own board: I do not believe this qualifies as an example of quality and timely investment.

The government can look to its schools infrastructure refurbishment program. It can laud its $162 million of investment. But it owes the taxpayers of Canberra, Dr Bourke, an absolute commitment that the moneys it spends are directed to projects that are well researched, wanted by the local community and projects that will deliver a lasting benefit.

Dr Bourke, if your government believes in the principle of making and supporting quality and timely investments in school infrastructure, why did your government remove the interest subsidy scheme commitment to non-government schools that educate 41 per cent of the students in the territory? I would be very interested in your answer on that one.

The interest subsidy scheme, or ISS, has been the only form of direct capital support provided by the ACT government to the non-government school sector and it has removed that ability to assist much-needed infrastructure in the non-government sector. If the government is genuinely committed to supporting quality and timely


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