Page 1103 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 6 May 2014
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MR BARR: No, the costs associated with the Lyneham precinct are not part of this grant. This grant relates to the construction of the new volleyball facility, and that is $500,000 from the government over two years—so $250,000 per year out of an existing grants allocation. Volleyball ACT contribute $250,000 towards the construction.
The asbestos remediation work that has occurred across the entire Lyneham precinct was budgeted for as part of the Lyneham precinct upgrades and was for the benefit of all users of the precinct in that the area was a dumping ground for bonded asbestos in the development of the city going back, I understand, to the 1940s and 1950s. So when this remediation work occurred, it occurred across the site. It received a degree of media attention at the time, and I believe the media article that sought to sensationalise this again was referring to costs associated with remediation of the site to allow a new facility to be built there. Whether it was a volleyball facility or any other sporting facility, the area would have needed to have been remediated in order to allow its use.
Schools—capital works
MS BERRY: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, can you update the Assembly on recent works at ACT government schools, including the completion of the new relocatable classrooms at Duffy Primary School?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Berry for her question. I am very happy to provide the Assembly with a further update on schools capital works since the last question on this topic in February of this year, when I outlined some of the works being delivered for the start of the 2014 school year. This included the rectification and upgrade of Taylor primary and the expansions to Majura and Macgregor primary schools.
There have also been major works at Duffy Primary School, where the new relocatable classrooms were delivered for the start of the 2014 school year. Seven new modular relocatable classrooms were assembled at Duffy Primary School and will support the enrolment growth in the Weston Creek area as well as students moving into the Molonglo district. While these classrooms look and feel like permanent classrooms, they can be relocated to another school should enrolments decrease at Duffy at a later time.
Classrooms were manufactured off-site, which meant that any disruption to the school was minimised. It is worth noting that this project has been shortlisted for the 2014 ACT Master Builders and Cbus excellence in building awards in the innovation category, as well as in the commercial building category. Similarly, the Taylor Primary School project has been nominated for the MBA awards in the commercial building category.
Works have also occurred at existing public schools, with a new learn-to-ride facility installed at the Southern Cross Early Childhood School. A new library and classroom were completed at Malkara School this year, as was a new lift at Canberra College and classroom upgrades at Turner School.
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