Mackay Isaac Whitsundays schools share in massive funding boosts
Mackay Isaac and Whitsunday region students will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the investments across public, private and independent institutions.
Community News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Community News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The region’s schools have reaped the benefit of major funding injections across 2021, and there is a healthy schedule of works set to go ahead this year.
Mackay Isaac and Whitsunday region students will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the investments across both public, private and independent institutions.
The upcoming works for state centres were largely budgeted in the 2021 forward estimates.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said the works program was about “ensuring all students, no matter where they live, have access to high quality learning opportunities within their local communities”.
Works on the public facilities generated 29 jobs.
From airconditioning providing a welcome reprieve through the sizzling summer months to new halls and gymnasiums and everything in between, here’s where the money went in 2021, as well as an exclusive preview into what’s coming for 2022.
Sarina State High School
Sarina State High School’s growing student cohort and generations to come will benefit from the new $12m performing arts and sports hall completed in October.
It includes two sports courts, a performance stage, box office, music spaces, a gym and a basketball court which could become available for the community to use outside of school hours.
The high school was one of 26 across Queensland to share in $235m of infrastructure upgrades under the Renewing Our Schools Program.
AE Smith and Son also won a $330,000 electrical work contract on August 17.
The school was fitted with 242 solar panels by the end of November 2020.
In 2022, $270,000 will be spent upgrading airconditioning in six learning areas at the school, slated for completion in February.
Mackay State High School
Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert said Mackay State High School had secured a $271,700 slice of a $3.5m School Subsidies Scheme for works in 2022.
“They’re going to use their money to set up a marine studies centre and it’ll help deliver the teaching space so they can deliver enhanced learning in the area of STEM,” Mrs Gilbert said.
“All of the upgrades are about bringing spaces up to the 21st century and making sure they’re very modern, up-to-date and students get, no matter where they live, the best education.
“Our traditional established schools like Mackay High and North High, they’re schools that as soon as you mention them, people know somebody that went to those schools or went there themselves.
“It’s like owning old Queenslanders, they do take more upgrading and retrofitting.”
Mackay High also recently received more than $30,000 to upgrade the tennis court.
Andergrove State School
Mrs Gilbert said Andergrove State School was the other Mackay region school to receive funds under the ROS program, securing $105,600 to upgrade the tuck shop.
“We found across the region, there has been a lot of interests in schools to upgrade their tuck shops and providing healthy food for students is very important for school communities,” she said.
Bucasia State School
A $1.3m tender was awarded in May 2021 for electrical upgrades and airconditioning replacements to Bucasia State School.
Another $550,000 was budgeted to upgrade the tuckshop, with works expected to be completed by late June this year.
Marian State School
Marian is also in line for a new tuckshop, with $550,000 budgeted for the upgrade.
Works are likewise expected to be completed by late June this year.
Mackay West State School
Mackay West is in line for new airconditioning with tenders for the installation closing on January 18, 2022.
It is unknown what it will cost or how many will be installed.
The Queensland Police Citizens Youth Welfare Association also scored a $3.63m contract to offer an outside school hours service at the school from December 2020 through to December 2029.
Mackay District Special School
Tenders are out to build a new student set down facility at the Beaconsfield school with an application closing date of January 20 next year.
The Department of Education has budgeted $825,000 for the works that are expected to be completed in late June this year.
Pioneer State High School
Pioneer State High School was slated for a $1.1m renovation to bring it into the modern age.
Principal Matthew Horton, in August 2020, said the project would overhaul five science labs and two classrooms with new gas, electricity and chemical storage as well as provide a dedicated robotics laboratory with static-proof floor.
“A dedicated robotics lab will help us expand our mission to make science accessible to all students,” Mr Horton said.
Expected to be completed in late June, a total of $1.089m was budgeted for the science building.
Northern Beaches State High School
Northern Beaches State High School was a winner in the state government’s 2021-22 budget receiving $4.32m for extra classrooms with another $1.84m forecast for future budget deliveries.
The school was also allocated $252,000 to upgrade skills development and training facilities to industry standard, with a further $636,000 forecast for post 2021-22.
Bowen State High School
The school received $252,000 for upgrades to facilities in the 2021-22 state government budget with a further $784,000 forecast for post 2021-22.
The school also received 272 solar panels in 2020.
Clermont State High School
There is $710,000 forecast for Clermont State High School in the state government’s budgets post 2021-22.
Dysart State High School
There is $414,000 forecast for Dysart State High School in the state government’s budgets post 2021-22.
Cannonvale State School
Taking the lion’s share of funding, Cannonvale State School is set for major changes this year with almost $11m in works to be completed in 2022.
A new administration and resource building is expected to be finished in July when the $7.051m budgeted works are completed.
The junior learning centre will be refurbished and the resource centre repurposed, coming in at a total $3.85m in works to be completed in July.
Cannonvale State High School
Cannonvale High is set to get a new aquaculture training centre, also under the $43.2m regional action plan.
Clermont State School
Slacks Creek-based business Hawley Constructions won a $288,518 contract to complete the design, irrigation and landscaping of the oval which included a new storage shed and plumbing.
The works come in under the budgeted $313,500 the government had set aside for the works that were to be completed in November 2021.
Mirani State High School
Carl Brown Architects, trading as BEAT Architects, won the contract to upgrade the administration block at Mirani State High School.
The works were budgeted at $550,000.
Eimeo Road State School
BEAT Architects also secured the tender to upgrade the amenities block at Eimeo Road State School.
Budgeted funds were $550,000,
Blackwater State High School
Morayfield-based business Lauder and Sons had a $244,794 contract to convert two existing general learning areas into a flexispace.
Mackay North State High School
About $1m went towards a new roof for Mackay North State High School’s hall in March this year.
Education Minister Grace Grace said the contract was part of the Palaszczuk government’s multi million-dollar budget action plan for the Mackay Whitsunday region.
The $935,000 new hall roof is expected to be completed in January 2022.
Proserpine State High School
The 2021-22 state government budget allocated $3.45m to Proserpine State High School for building more classrooms.
The Proserpine school officially opened its new Performing Arts Centre with Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert as special guest on November 2.
It follows the school opening a new learning Centre in March as well as new administration building in late 2020.
Moranbah East State School
Almost $10m in future works will boost resources at Moranbah East State School, with the largest project expected to come online in 2023.
A new $9.68m learning centre is slated for an early 2023 completion, while a $721,280 upgrade to Block H amenities was completed in May 2021.
The works were part of the $1.2m from the 2021-22 state government budget with a further $4.46m forecast for future budget deliveries.
The Moranbah school opened new year 3 and 4 classrooms in Term 4 in 2021, with works to start on more buildings this year.
There was also an end-of-year present for the Moranbah school as the Eketon family and Ikea North Lakes donated furniture, floor mats and cushions for the Year 1 classrooms with Ausroad transporting the gear.
It follows the Moranbah Community Workers Club donating an iPad, the P & C together with Stanmore Coal providing new student seats and tables, the Student Council Representatives fundraising for a new portable sound system, and the state government’s Drought Relief Program funding three new fridges to help keep lunches cool.
Whitsunday Anglican School
The independent college will have a new $2.9m Resources, Science and Design Centre in 2022 with tenders for the project having closed on December 3.
“The advanced technological learning hub (is) designed to link in with the region’s industry strengths and provide future opportunities for students in science, technologies, engineering, mathematics and design,” the school posted to Facebook in July.
“From artificial intelligence, 3D printing, robotics, the resource industry, the Internet of Things, biotechnology, food production and much more, the RSDC will be a world-class facility for students from kindergarten to Year 12.”
The school also introduced a “state of the art play gym” in July, and was expanding its kindergarten which would take the centre’s full time capacity from 22 children to 44. See the plans.
Last but not least a new Roland grand piano now graces the Ron Bourne Hall stage.
Holy Spirit College
Holy Spirit College showed off its completed new administration building in January 2021 with an impressive 1400sq m footprint.
It was part of a development application lodged in late 2019 which included a new round-shaped library and a refurbished student services hub.
Mackay Central State School
The oldest remaining school in Mackay has a colourful new mural on its Prep building thanks to “Deadly Arthur”.
“He completed an amazing new mural on the side of the Prep building, all within one day, tremendous! We can’t wait for him to visit again,” the school posted on Facebook in August.
Mercy College
Approved plans are at the ready for an extensive redevelopment at Mercy College including a revitalised performing arts precinct.
It also includes a new general learning areas block, community gathering space and learning support areas as well as an upgrade to student amenities and extending and altering the hall.
Stage one’s transformation of the hall will add 132sq m of floor space with a new lecture theatre and gym.
Parents and friends of Mercy College also fundraised in 2021 to buy new equipment for the school’s Food Technology Kitchen which included $5000 towards a new blast chiller and $4700 for a new refrigerator.
Catherine McAuley College
Construction is ahead of schedule for Mackay’s newest high school to welcome four classrooms of students through the historic doors in 2022.
Named after a “remarkable woman” and the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton is melding the new with the old with its $12m Catherine McAuley College.
Adaptations to the heritage-listed former Sugar Research Institute building along Nebo Rd retain historical features while adding a new bus stop, shelter, trees and landscaping, plus a modern building out the back.
Carlisle Adventist College
Big things were happening at the Christian school along Holts Rd including a brand new Prep room featuring cupboard doors that doubled as whiteboards, and a new tuckshop.
Work is still progressing on a 916sq m double storey multipurpose building featuring a food technology classroom with 10 cooking stations.
There is also a pantry and dry store, a cafe corner with a coffee machine, preparation and wash benches, a three-table cafe and alfresco connected to the servery.
The first-floor slab was poured in August, with the school proudly updating the community each step of the way via newsletters.
St Anne’s Catholic Primary School
The Sarina non-state school replaced its 900mm high galvanised fence with a new and improved 1.8m aluminium loop top fencing in the Easter school holidays in 2021.
It followed the school installing multiple fences in June last year.
‘Jobs on the line’: Central Qld MP welcomes first federal nuclear energy hearing
Biloela will be the first regional town to be visited by a Federal Government nuclear energy committee for a public hearing. Find out more.
$100K fundraiser started for Central Qld business destroyed by blaze
The director of a business destroyed by fire has described Rockhampton as a “big country town” as locals rally around them.