Parents’ fury as regional Qld school runs out of water
A small regional Queensland school has been forced to buy bottled water after its supply ran out, with angry parents unloading on the Government.
Education
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A small regional school that’s been leaning on a local mining company to supplement its water supply for a year fears it will remain in “survival mode” unless the state government provides a permanent solution.
Valkyrie State School, southwest of Mackay, completely ran out of water last week, with students and staff having to drink from store-bought bottles.
The shocking situation has left parents feeling neglected and frustrated, with several telling The Sunday Mail this would never have happened if the school was in Brisbane.
It can be revealed mining company Peabody has been trucking water to the school – which relies only on rainwater tanks – free of charge since June last year.
At least 11 deliveries have been made so far.
The situation has become so dire in recent years that students haven’t been allowed to play on the oval, which now resembles a dust bowl.
HPE lessons are therefore restricted and the toilets are being flushed with precious potable water.
There is also only one water bubbler for the 20 students.
Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association Nebo branch president Jessie Bethel undertook an extensive case study looking at options and outcomes and provided it to the state government two months ago.
Ms Bethel said that, since then, the school had faced constant red tape from the Education Department.
“The department continually asks further of us which we have met in a very timely manner,” she said.
Ms Bethel said the school community was grateful the department had committed to providing three new rainwater tanks, which had been requested, but she said it wasn’t enough.
“The tanks are a complete sidestep from our greater endeavour of securing a permanent water source,” she said. “Because without it, the school remains in survival mode.”
Two solutions were highlighted in the proposal – one being connecting the school to the nearest water pipeline which would guarantee a permanent supply.
But this is considered to be unjustifiable given it would require 22km of pipeline.
The rehabilitation of a nearby dam is considered by the school community to be more realistic, which would also require a water pump and pipeline to run 700m to the infrastructure.
The dam, which is on state-owned land, would supply the school’s non-potable needs.
It’s understood a bore is not possible because the groundwater is too salty.
“There is no doubt that if these circumstances were in any proximity to Brisbane or a major town, we would not be having this discussion,” Ms Bethel said.
“It simply is unthinkable yet this is the reality for our school and many rural schools like it.
“We simply want to establish what any other metropolitan school could reasonably expect – that is a safe and suitable oval for sport, extra-curricular, HPE and other activities.”
The lack of water is also understood to be impacting the principal and teaching residences, which share three rainwater tanks.
The critical water issues come as the school expects to welcome a growing cohort of students in coming years.
An Education Department spokeswoman said that in times of limited rainfall, the water supply was supplemented with deliveries.
“All water deliveries to the school have been arranged through QBuild,” she said.
“The department will continue to work with the school to find a suitable solution to the school’s water issues.”
Education Minister Grace Grace confirmed her department was putting in extra tanks to increase capacity.
P&C president and parent Kristen Michelmore said the worst-case scenario was the school was able to build the dam, with the best case being connection to town water with the 22km pipeline.
She said the P&C should not have to fund any kind of water infrastructure.
“The impact on the P&C is it will completely wipe out our funds that we use to purchase reading books, pay for school camp, uniforms and fundraising events,” she said.
“So the children would have to go without camp for the next two years at least.”
Peter Comiskey, who also has a child at the school, said the state government needed to move faster.
“The little guys need an oval where they can do their running and do all the other things kids in metro areas do,” he said.
Mr Comiskey said his children took water bottles to school every day.
“Parents are forever worried about the school running out or burning out pumps, the principal is forever monitoring the water situation and how much they can use and being very aware of toilet use and where they can keep a little bit of water for the garden,” he said.
Parent Jess Burston, whose children Indee and Mason attend the school, agreed that if the school was in a major city such as Brisbane, the water problems would have been fixed already.
Member for Burdekin Dale Last said he had written to Education Minister Grace Grace and Water Minister Glenn Butcher demanding urgent assistance.
“It’s absolutely appalling that, in this day and age, we have a school without reliable access to water,” he said.
Peabody’s Coppabella Moorvale Joint Venture mine boss Mark Turner said the company was only too happy to help the school.
“Our employees are mostly local and have kids at local schools so we know how important it is that every dollar goes towards giving students the best possible education,” he said.
“If our water donations mean money is freed up to buy books, computers or other educational needs for the kids at Valkyrie, then that’s a great result.”
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