Page 3004 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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The government understands that Canberra’s population is evolving, the demographics are changing, and the education system needs to adapt to those changes. Changing how and where education is delivered is a very important part of service delivery. This includes ensuring that families who are moving into new suburbs across Canberra have access to high quality education facilities in their area. That is why the budget that is before us today and will be into the small hours of tomorrow will see the government invest a record $835 million into our education system, demonstrating the priority that this government places on the future of young Canberrans in this city.
As part of this record investment we are continuing our significant program of capital works. We will be investing more than $150 million in delivering upgraded facilities at our existing schools, and we are building new schools where they are needed most. I am sure all members are aware that Gungahlin is the fastest growing community in the ACT. With many young families moving into the new suburbs in Canberra’s north it is critical that we provide education facilities to meet growing demand. That is why we have built the Gungahlin college and why we are providing $105.3 million in this budget to deliver new schools in Bonner and Franklin.
The new Bonner primary school will accommodate up to 560 students from preschool to year 6 and will open for the commencement of the 2013 school year. We are also investing just over $40 million in the new early childhood school in Franklin, which will complement ACT Labor’s existing suite of early childhood schools, like the Southern Cross school in Ms Porter’s electorate. This new facility in Franklin will provide 15 hours of free preschool and will be collocated with childcare facilities and of course the early years of primary school. It will cater for children from birth to eight years of age, with up to 120 childcare places and 300 places for students from preschool to year 2.
When you combine the government’s investment in Amaroo school, Harrision secondary school, the recently completed Gungahlin college and the CIT learning centre and the two new schools funded in this budget, Bonner and Franklin, the government is helping to ensure that students throughout Gungahlin have access to the best possible education from the earliest years to year 12 and beyond.
As I said earlier, we are expanding our delivery of capital works to those areas of the city where we are experiencing growth in enrolments. That is why there is $10.1 million in the budget to expand Macgregor and Majura primary schools, and I know Ms Porter is very well acquainted with Macgregor primary school, which is in her electorate. We will be investing significant funds in that facility. Another investment that Ms Porter has supported strongly is the forward design of a purpose built facility for the Canberra College Cares program that has been running so successfully out of Stirling.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Porter, a supplementary?
MS PORTER: Can the minister provide the Assembly with details on the progress of works already underway and some examples of the work that is planned to continue to provide ACT students with high quality education facilities into the future?
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