Page 2384 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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down there and to join the Menzies family as we unveiled that a number of years ago. I think that actions are stronger than words and I think that demonstrates their commitment to Mr Menzies.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
Economic Development Directorate—
Schedule 1, Part 1.9—$4,129,000 (net cost of outputs), $233,000 (capital injection), $3,850,000 (payments on behalf of territory), totalling $8,212,000.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (8.34): Again, Madam Deputy Speaker, the former Economic Development Directorate has been subsumed into another area. We have had most of that debate and we will be supporting the line.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
Education and Training Directorate—
Schedule 1, Part 1.10—$18,039,000 (net cost of outputs), $13,116,000 (payments on behalf of territory), totalling $31,155,000.
Schedule 1A, Part 1.10—$590,203,000 (net cost of outputs), $100,089,000 (capital injection), $239,240,000 (payments on behalf of territory), totalling $929,532,000.
MR DOSZPOT (Molonglo) (8.35): Before I speak about education and training, I will make a brief observation. It is good to see one lone member of the ACT community actually coming in to the ACT Assembly this late at night to listen to the budget deliberations. I would like to welcome Mr Rob Lovett from the Brindabella electorate; thank you, Mr Lovett, for your interest in the Assembly.
The Education and Training Directorate is the largest single commitment of funds in the ACT budget. With a net cost of outputs at over $680 million, it represents a significant investment and rivals that of health and the local hospital network allocations. These funds cover a wide network of schools and training. With nearly 71,000 students enrolled within the ACT education sector, 42,000 of whom attend public schools, it is a sizable commitment. In the public school sector we have 76 preschools, 71 primary schools, 19 high schools, nine colleges and 12 specialist schools and centres, all of which have to be managed to consistent and high levels of service delivery. There is much to be proud of in both our government and non-government schools, but there is always room for improvement, as the estimates hearings demonstrated. I bring to the attention of the Assembly today just a few.
As the estimates committee report has highlighted, there was considerable discussion during the hearings about the cause and extent of asbestos found at Birrigai Outdoor School. The committee was told there is quite extensive soil contamination by asbestos materials in the area, but details were a little vague. As the directorate said to the committee:
I personally, and my team, do not know why it is what it is. We can only assume that it is historical.
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