Page 3465 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019

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The government also allocated $18 million in the 2018 budget to a roof replacement program. Roofing upgrades will see poorly insulated roofs upgraded to R4 insulation. These upgrades decrease gas consumption and can reduce emissions by 20 per cent. They will also reduce air-conditioning requirements in summer.

Lighting upgrades are another way for schools to improve energy efficiency. Lighting audits have been conducted at 11 schools to inform possible future upgrades. Last year, Caroline Chisholm School’s senior campus, Gold Creek senior school, Melba Copland Secondary College and Florey Primary School all received LED lighting upgrades. Dickson College, Gowrie Primary School, Mount Stromlo High School and Charnwood-Dunlop School will all receive LED lighting upgrades in their halls and gyms before term 1 in 2021.

All of these initiatives help to reduce carbon emissions across ACT public schools and make these schools more comfortable places for teachers to teach and for students to learn. The ACT government is committed to doing the heavy lifting when it comes to action on climate change so as to lessen the impact on Canberra families.

Schools—Hawker Primary School

MR WALL: My question too is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister, some parents only found out about your decision to expand Hawker Primary School by adding a demountable building through the Access Canberra newsletter. Minister, why did the government decide to expand Hawker Primary School and add a demountable without consulting with parents, local residents or the broader school community?

MS BERRY: Since that process was conducted, I have met with the Hawker Primary School P&C and school board. The school board and the P&C have had a good conversation with me about the use of space at Hawker Primary School and have decided that they are satisfied with the way they use the space in Hawker Primary School and are not in need of a new transportable learning space at this time. So I have listened to the community, and that new transportable will be used in another space.

Opposition members interjecting

MS BERRY: It is wonderful to have the opposition laughing at me when I am responding to a question that they have asked. Yes, the Education Directorate would normally have spoken to the school about these kinds of decisions. In this case it did not happen. The director-general apologised to the school, the board and the P&C and, as I have said, I have met with the school community and we are now in a situation where the school community is happy that the government listened to them and at the moment are happy and satisfied with the way they use their school spaces.

MR WALL: Minister, how can parents at a school community trust you or the government to consult with them moving forward on this incident given the gross miscommunication in the first announcement and the track record of doing this repeatedly?


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