SCHOOLS — MAINTENANCE
1061. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the minister's
statement released on Sunday titled ''Major maintenance blitz: New
job-creating school package unveiled''.
(1) Is the $200 million
package a new funding allocation that is in addition to funding already
allocated in the 2019–20 state budget for maintenance and repairs?
(2) Can the
minister confirm whether $46 million of the package has not yet been allocated
to projects; and, if yes, can the minister advise the process by which this
remaining funding will be allocated and will it be expended this financial
year?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
the question.
(1)–(2) In answer to the first part of the question about
whether this is new funding, absolutely, yes; it is in addition to what was
allocated in the budget. I will make this point: in the last financial year of
the previous government, the spend on school maintenance was $117 million. In
this government's last financial year, 2018–19, it was $128 million.
This $200 million to be spent over the next two years is in addition to what
was budgeted.
For the member's benefit,
there are three tranches. The first is $35 million, which will be allocated
across all 789 schools in Western Australia. Then there are two additional
tranches of over $81 million each that are for targeted maintenance programs.
All the items that that money is to be spent on have already been identified in
the most recent building condition assessment report. I am really proud of the
fact that we have the finances in order such that we can allocate an additional
$200 million to address priority items in school maintenance.