Page 2385 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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While I appreciate the honesty of that answer, I must say it will do little to reassure nervous parents, many of whom are already facing unknown futures in regard to their own houses affected by asbestos, who have similar vague responses about a school that many Canberra students have visited.
Later in the hearings after consultations with TAMS officers, we learnt there are actually six areas on the site that have been identified as containing asbestos-contaminated materials. The areas were defined on a very conservative basis. We learnt that all those sites had been topsoiled and seeded. They have also been fenced off to allow the grass to grow. That is in accordance with asbestos management plans for the site. Until then there had been a check and a pick-up of loose contained materials every three months. Once the area is grassed over, checks will revert to an annual inspection. What reputational damage this has done to Birrigai is probably unknown, but, clearly, it will have some impact on its popularity. One can only wonder whether this might have been less of an issue had the government been more up-front and advised schools earlier.
We know, given the age of our schools and one of the assessment reports done routinely on the presence of asbestos and other contaminated materials, that many of our schools have asbestos in them. For the most part, it is contained and in stable forms. It is only when freak acts of nature occur, such as the storm that affected Taylor Primary School in 2012, that the asbestos becomes an active problem. Indeed, in the case of Taylor primary, the solution was expensive, costing somewhere around $13 million. The result is an excellent rebuilt modern environment, but we need to be mindful that any other school of similar vintage or construction could be hit at any time.
I note recommendation 88 in the report suggests a full report to the Assembly on the matter. I only hope that in future the directorate is a little more on the front foot in this public reporting. I note also the allocation of $1 million a year over the next three years for the hazardous material removal program. I trust this is managed effectively and communicated well to minimise alarm among our school communities.
Another issue raised at estimates was that of planning and school upgrades. With over 70,000 students attending schools and the population of Canberra growing significantly, it is important we get the blueprint for present and future planning right. It is one thing to identify a need for a school to be upgraded to meet the current and future demand, as is the case with Belconnen high, but writing lyrical election promises is not the same as getting on with the job. The master plan for Belconnen high has been the subject of discussion for some time.
In the latest hearings the director of infrastructure and capital works told the committee the plan for Belconnen would be completed by September 2014. However, there was also vague commentary about the costings and when the work would actually be completed. Given the election promise made by the Chief Minister in October 2012, which talked of a $28 million upgrade to Belconnen high with design completed in the 2013-14 financial year, it would seem we are already well behind in that promise.
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