State Government spends $600k a year on maintaining 11 vacant school sites across Adelaide

THE State Government is spending more than $600,000 a year — almost enough to pay the salaries of 10 new teachers — on maintaining 11 empty former school sites.

24/11/14 Empty schools in the Northern area. Smith Creek Primary - 4 Anderson Walk, Smithfield Smithfield Plains High School, Beaumont Rd, Smithfield Plains Elizabeth Special School - 24 Durrington Road, Elizabeth Enfield High School - Grand Junction Road pic. Roy Van Der Vegt

THE State Government is spending more than $600,000 a year — almost enough to pay the salaries of 10 entry level teachers — on maintaining 11 empty former school sites.

The majority are in the northern suburbs.

Smith Creek Primary, Smithfield Plains High, Smithfield Plains Primary and Junior Primary School, Gepps Cross Senior School and Ingle Farm Community Kindergarten are all still on the market, after closing between 2009 and 2013.

Davoren Park Primary and Elizabeth Special School are also being prepared for sale.

Smith Creek Primary, in Smithfield, closed in 2009 and its sale is under contract.

Renewal SA would not provide details on the buyer before settlement, citing commercial confidentiality reasons.

Education Department infrastructure executive director Ross Treadwell said the department spent $623,900 maintaining the sites across Adelaide, which covers mowing grass, cleaning gutters and removing dumped rubbish.

It pays its entry-level teachers about $63,000 a year, meaning almost 10 could be employed using the money it spends on its maintenance bill.

Adelaide University Associate Professor John Spoehr, executive director of the Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre, suggested the northern sites be used for sports grounds, training centres and homes, to cater for the area’s population growth.

“On the other hand the proceeds from sale could be used to establish a modern centrally-located Smart Hub innovation, education and training facility shared by vocational education and training and University providers,” Prof Spoehr said.

He said the Elizabeth CBD would be an ideal place for a hub.

The schools vary in price; Smithfield Plains High School has an asking price of $5 million while Smithfield Plain Primary and Junior Primary School is on offer for $2.5 million.

Education Department infrastructure executive director Ross Treadwell said the land was put on the open market after first being offered to other government departments and local councils.

“Each property has its own complexities when it is placed on the market, but (the department) endeavours to sell any surplus properties in the most timely manner possible, and ensure taxpayers get the most benefit from the sale,” Mr Treadwell said.

Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty said he hoped whoever bought the properties would put them to good use.

“I like to see those school sites used for further residential develop or continue to be used for further training or education centres or sold to businesses that can create jobs and economic investment in Playford,” Mr Docherty said.

The majority of the schools shut to make way for the State Government’s super schools, John Hartley School in Smithfield, Mark Oliphant College in Munno Para, Roma Mitchell College in Gepps Cross and Blair Athol Birth-Year 7 School.

TELL US BELOW: Do you have a vacant school site near you? What would you like to see happen?