More than $1m in school upgrades ready for new term

Students going back for the first day of term four will notice some impressive changes, with more than $1 million in school upgrades completed and over $17 million worth of projects started over the school holidays.  

Together the ACT Labor Government and the Rudd Government are investing more than half a billion to upgrade every ACT school. This is delivering a wide range of projects from classrooms being repainted to new school halls, libraries and performing arts centres.

Where possible, we try to do major projects during school holidays, to minimise disruption to the school. However because of their size not all projects can be completed in school holiday time. For example, construction on projects funded by ACT Labor such as the performing arts centre at Lyneham High School and new gyms at Stromlo and Belconnen High has been ongoing.

As a result of the massive investments Labor is making in the education of young Canberrans, students, parents and teachers across the Territory will see important and positive changes at their schools on day one of the new term.

Eight projects at ACT public schools were completed during the holidays:

• Alfred Deakin High School – upgrade of the assembly hall, the drama room and arts room;
• Aranda Primary School – upgrade of the front entry area;
• Canberra College (Woden) – $200,000 refurbishment of student services area, funded under the National School Pride (NSP) component of BER;
• Canberra High School – completion of stage 2 of school upgrades;
• Chifley Preschool – building extension;
• Dickson College – $200,000 upgrade of student services area, funded under NSP;
• Lyons Early Childhood School – completion of the first stage of the school’s redevelopment; and
• Malkara – $75,000 classroom upgrades, funded under NSP.

During week one of this term, a further $1.2 million of NSP projects will be completed at eight schools across Canberra. NSP projects to be completed during week one are: 

• Canberra High School – $200,000 library refurbishment;  
• Erindale College – $200,000 classroom refurbishment;  
• Hawker Primary School – $200,000 classroom refurbishment; 
• Majura Primary School – $150,000 upgrade of classrooms;  
• Richardson Primary School – $125,000 upgrade of shade structures; 
• Taylor Primary School – $125,000 upgrade of front entry and foyer; and 
• Wanniassa School – $200,000 classroom refurbishments.

As well as those projects which have been completed, $17.25 million worth of work began during the holiday period, funded under the Primary Schools for the 21^st Century (P21) component of the BER program.

The P21 projects commenced during the break were: 

• Arawang Primary School – $2.5 million multi-purpose building;
• Gowrie Primary School – $2 million multi-purpose building;
• Latham Primary School – $2 million library;
• Monash Primary School – $3 million multi-purpose building;
• North Ainslie Primary School – $2.5 million library;
• Turner School - $3 million library;
• Stromlo High School – $250,000 covered outdoor learning area;
• Theodore Primary School – $2.5 million multi-purpose building; and
• Weetangera primary School – $2.5 million multi-purpose building.