Work has been carried out on almost 40 Illawarra schools as the NSW Government boasts that it has cleared more than half of the school maintenance backlog.
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Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the government was on track to deliver the $1.3 billion election commitment to wipe the school maintenance backlog to zero by July 2020.
"More than $200 million has been spent on 968 maintenance projects at public schools across metro and regional NSW during the summer holidays, leaving only 47 percent of the backlog left to clear," Ms Mitchell said.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward said these works represented a commitment to not just maintain public schools but to constantly improve them.
"Whether it's clearing away the backlog of work at schools like Cambewarra Public School or replacing rooves at schools like Albion Park Public School, we are getting on with the job of fixing our schools," Mr Ward said.
Maintenance was carried out in 13 schools in the Wollongong electorate, 10 in Shellharbour, nine in Kiama and five schools in the Keira electorate.
This work included everything from re-roofing, painting, security fencing and upgrading disabled toilet and ramps.
"With more than 2200 schools in the NSW public education system, these maintenance works are vital to providing world-class facilities for students and staff," Ms Mitchell said.
"We have used enough paint to fill nine backyard pools and laid enough floor to cover 40 football fields.
"I want to reassure families that schools impacted by bushfires over the holiday period will not miss out, all planned maintenance work will still be carried out at these schools."
Labor though has raised doubts about whether the government will meet their July deadline to clear the entire school maintenance backlog.
"It took 12 months to get just half of the maintenance done, with five months to get the rest done it looks unlikely that the Liberals and Nationals will be able to keep their promise," Shadow Minister for Education, Prue Car said.
Maintenance blitz - Keira electorate:
- Austinmer Public School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Balgownie Public School - access and vision upgrade
- Bulli Public School - security fencing, re-roof, access upgrade, including disabled toilet and ramps
- Fairy Meadow Public School - re-roof
- Thirroul Public School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
Kiama electorate:
- Albion Park High School - re-roof
- Albion Park Rail Public School - re-roof and exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Bomaderry Public School - re-roof
- Bomaderry High School - vision upgrade
- Mount Terry Public School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Berry Public School - vision upgrade
- North Nowra Public School - painting, carpentry, grounds
- Cambewarra Public School - painting, carpentry
- Nowra Hill Public School - painting, carpentry, grounds
Shellharbour electorate:
- Balarang Public School - re-roofing, exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Dapto High School - re-roofing, environmental modification for vision
- Kanahooka High School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Mount Warrigal Public School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Oak Flats High School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Shellharbour Public School - re-roofing
- Warilla High School - access upgrade and electrical
- Warilla North Public School - environmental modification for access
- Warilla Public School - re-roof
Wollongong electorate:
- Berkeley Public School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Berkeley West Public School - re-roofing
- Cringila Public School - re-roofing, exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Figtree Heights Public School - re-roof, vision upgrade
- Figtree Public School - vision upgrade
- Mount St Thomas Public School - painting, int/ext, toilet upgrade
- Primbee Public School - safety fencing
- Smith's Hill High School - bitumen paving, asbestos + air monitoring
- Warrawong High School - bitumen paving, painting int/ext, plumbing, carpentry
- Warrawong Public School - re-roofing
- Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts - CSBR soft fall and ground works, design and construct ramp to P2 demountable
- Wollongong High School - exterior and interior paint and or floor coverings
- Wollongong West Public School - retaining wall and fencing
- Woonona High School - access upgrade