Page 2235 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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MR GUPTA: Minister, how is the government making sure that there is a local public school in areas of high population growth?
MS BERRY: The ACT government continues to invest in Canberra’s future by building on its election commitments to build new public schools and expand schools in areas of growth. This week I announced that the government would build a new public high school in Kenny as well as expand Amaroo school and provide additional transportable classrooms for schools all across the ACT.
The number of Canberra public school students continues to grow by about three per cent each year, as the population grows and as more families are choosing public education. Gungahlin continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the country. That is why the government has invested more than $12 million to expand Amaroo’s senior campus by an additional 200 places and provide new specialist learning facilities for the 2022 year. The government has also committed to deliver a new high school for Gungahlin, with over $72 million to deliver a new high school in the suburb of Kenny, in east Gungahlin. Across Gungahlin, the government is also expanding Franklin school for 600 students from kindergarten to year 6 as well as increasing capacity at Gold Creek senior campus by 200 places. In 2022 Canberra will also see its 90th public school, in Throsby.
MS CODY: Minister, how is the government ensuring access to public education throughout our city?
MS BERRY: This week I announced an additional $17 million investment in high quality modern transportable classrooms for public schools across the ACT. Transportable schools are great these days and nothing like the old demountables many of us would be familiar with. They are spacious, comfortable, insulated, air-conditioned and designed to meet current energy targets. They meet all the same standards as normal permanent buildings and have the same comforts and technology. As student numbers increase and decrease and as suburbs go through their demographic cycles, transportables help to meet the changing demand and can be moved around as different schools go through their peaks. This week’s announcements will see an additional 750 places in public schools across the city to meet the projected enrolment growth where it is needed most.
Madam Speaker, this is not a new way that governments manage change in demographics across suburbs in the ACT. Every state and territory manages these changes to demographics in the city and across the states and territories to make sure that every child in their local area has access to their local school. The government will also continue detailed planning for future school needs in the city and gateway region, including areas of growth like west Belconnen, Molonglo, Belconnen and Woden town centre.
Municipal services—footpaths
MR MILLLIGAN: My question is to the Minister for City Services. In this week’s CityNews Paul Costigan said—
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