More school airconditioning cash to be splashed
Another 261 state schools across southern Queensland will be offered cash to aircondition classrooms and other learning spaces. SEE IF YOUR SCHOOL IS ON THE LIST.
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SWELTERING students could walk into cooler classrooms when the new school year beings, with the State Government bringing forward airconditioning funding.
Another 260 state schools across southern Queensland will be offered cash to aircondition classrooms and other learning spaces this summer.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the Government is bringing forward $50 million as the state braces for a hot and dry summer.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her Government wanted all students to learn in a comfortable and cool environment.
“For our students and teachers, the classroom is where they spend most of their day,” she said.
“Importantly, this announcement will also support hundreds of local jobs and thousands of apprentice hours for those companies installing the systems.”
Forty schools have already been announced as benefiting from this funding, including Bargara, Burnett Heads and Walkervale state primary schools.
An additional 260 schools, which are located in some of the hottest and humid parts of the state, were announced today bringing the total to 301.
The funding is part of a $100 million Budget commitment announced in June which was to be spent over four years.
However with the Government fast-tracking its program, schools will have the opportunity to engage contractors over the upcoming summer period.
Whether or not all 300 schools receive airconditioners this summer will depend on the availability of contractors.
“By fast-tracking this funding, work that had been planned in future years can begin now, providing a valuable boost to our economy,” the Premier said.
Education Minister Grace Grace said an audit of every school in the state, expected to be completed by the end of the year, identified the schools set to cool down.
“We’re getting on with the job and methodically rolling out airconditioning for classrooms in a fiscally responsible manner,” Ms Grace said.
“We already aircondition every classroom in north, central and western Queensland and in the past two months we announced 40 schools that would receive airconditioning with some installations already taking place in the Wide Bay region.”
More than 3500 classrooms in 390 state schools are currently airconditioned within the Cooler Schools Zone in Queensland.
Once these additional classrooms and learning spaces are airconditioned, it will mean two-thirds of the state’s schools will be cooled down.
LNP POLICY UP IN THE AIR
OPPOSITION Leader Deb Frecklington can’t guarantee her party’s $1.5 billion airconditioning policy won’t blow out, while being unable to explain exactly how many classrooms it will help.
In what is one of the LNP’s key election policies, the party has promised to aircondition every state school across Queensland if elected next year.
However Ms Frecklington was today unable to say exactly how many classrooms her party’s promise would benefit.
“The reason I’m not going to give you an exact figure on schools is because each and every day another P&C has done the hard work ... plugging in the airconditioner into their school,” she said.
She said $1.5 billion was an estimated figure, and when asked whether it could cost more, Ms Frecklington said her party needed to get the latest school figures from the Education Department.
“But what I will say is that I think our kids are worth it,” she said.
“I think that we can find the money from the waste, the Labor waste that is rolling around under Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“Do I think it’s expensive? Yeah, but I also know that our kids are worth it and so are our teachers.”
Ms Frecklington accused the Government of “cherry picking” schools after Labor announced it was bringing forward $50 million to benefit an added 260 schools.
FULL LIST OF EXTRA SCHOOLS
Agnes Water State School
Albany Creek State High School
Albert State School
Aldridge State High School
Algester State School
Amamoor State School
Amberley District State School
Aratula State School
Ashgrove State School
Augusta State School
Avoca State School
Back Plains State School
Bargara State School
Bauple State School
Beaudesert State High School
Beaudesert State School
Beechmont State School
Bell State School
Bellbird Park State Secondary College
Benarkin State School
Berrinba East State School
Biddeston State School
Biggenden State School
Blenheim State School
Boonah State High School
Boonah State School
Branyan Road State School
Brassall State School
Bray Park State High School
Bray Park State School
Bremer State High School
Brisbane Central State School
Brisbane State High School
Brookfield State School
Brookstead State School
Browns Plains State High School
Browns Plains State School
Bullyard State School
Bundaberg Central State School
Bundaberg North State High School
Bundaberg South State School
Bundaberg Special School
Bundaberg State High School
Bundaberg West State School
Bundamba State School
Bundamba State Secondary College
Bunker’s Hill State School
Buranda State School
Burnett Heads State School
Burnett State College
Burrowes State School
Bymount East State School
ry State High School
Chapel Hill State School
Charleville State High School
Charleville State School
Chatsworth State School
Chinchilla State High School
Clifton State High School
Coalstoun Lakes State School
Collingwood Park State School
Condamine State School
Cooyar State School
Corinda State High School
Corinda State School
Crestmead State School
Crow’s Nest State School
Dagun State School
Dalby State High School
Dalby State School
Dallarnil State School
Darra State School
Dayboro State School
Deebing Heights State School
Drayton State School
Durack State School
East Brisbane State School
Eatons Hill State School
Emu Creek State School
Enoggera State Park State High School
Everton Park State School
Fernbrooke State School
Ferny Grove State High School
Ferny Grove State School
Ferny Hills State School
Fig Tree Pocket State School
Flagstone State Community College
Flagstone State School
Forest Lake State High School
Forest Lake State School
Gatton State School
Gayndah State School
Geham State School
Gin Gin State High School
Gin Gin State School
Glamorgan Vale State School
Glenala State High School
Glenwood State School
Gooburrum State School
Goodna Special School
Goodna State School
Goodwood State School
Goomeri State School
Gowrie State School
Graceville State School
Grand Avenue State School
Grandchester State School
Grantham State School
Greenbank State School
Greenmount State School
Grovely State School
Gunalda State School
Gympie East State School
Gympie South State School
Gympie Special School
Gympie State High School
Gympie West State School
Harris Fields State School
Harrisville State School
Hatton Vale State School
Hervey Bay State High School
Howard State School
Inala State School
Indooroopilly State High School
Ipswich Central State School
Ipswich East State School
Ipswich North State School
Ipswich Special School
Ipswich State High School
Ironside State School
Isis District State High School
James Nash State High School
Jandowae Prep-10 State School
Jimboomba State School
Jindalee State School
Jones Hill State School
Junction Park State School
Kaimkillenbun State School
Kalbar State School
Kalkie State School
Kandanga State School
Kawungan State School
Kelvin Grove State College
Kenmore South State School
Kenmore State High School
Kenmore State School
Kepnock State High School
Kilcoy State High School
Kilcoy State School
Kilkivan State School
Kingaroy State High School
Kingaroy State School
Kingsthorpe State School
Kingston State College
Kingston State School
Kogan State School
Kolan South State School
Kulpi State School
Kumbia State School
Laidley District State School
Laidley State High School
Leichhardt State School
Lockrose State School
Lockyer District State High School
Logan Village State School
Loganholme State School
Loganlea State High School
Lowood State High School
Lowood State School
Ma Ma Creek State School
Mabel Park State High School
Mabel Park State School
Marsden State High School
Marsden State School
Mary Valley State College
Maryborough Central State School
Maryborough Special School
Maryborough State High School
Maryborough West State School
McDowall State School
Meandarra State School
Middle Park State School
Miles State High School
Milpera State High School
Milton State School
Minden State School
Mitchelton State High School
Moggill State School
Monkland State School
Monogorilby State School
Monto State High School
Monto State School
Mount Alford State School
Mount Kilcoy State School
Mount Perry State School
Mount Samson State School
Mount Tyson State School
Mundubbera State School
Mungar State School
Murgon State High School
Murgon State School
Murphy’s Creek State School
Mutdapilly State School
Nanango State High School
Nanango State School
Newmarket State School
Norville State School
Oakey State High School
Oakey State School
Oakleigh State School
Oakwood State School
Oxley State School
Pallara State School
Park Ridge State High School
Park Ridge State School
Petrie Terrace State School
Pialba State School
Pine Rivers State High School
Pittsworth State High School
Pittsworth State School
Proston State School
Quinalow Prep-10 State School
Raceview State School
Rainbow Beach State School
Rathdowney State School
Redbank Plains State High School
Redbank Plains State School
Regents Park State School
Richlands East State School
Riverview State School
Rosedale State School
Rosewood State High School
Rosewood State School
Samford State School
Sandy Strait State School
Serviceton South State School
Sharon State School
Sherwood State School
Silkstone State School
Southbrook Central State School
Spring Mountain State School
Springfield Central State High School
Springfield Central State School
Springfield Lakes State School
St Bernard State School
St Helens State School
Strathpine State School
Sunbury State School
Surat State School
Taabinga State School
Tamborine Mountain State High School
Tamborine Mountain State School
Tanduringie State School
Tara Shire State College
Tarampa State School
Taroom State School
Tent Hill Lower State School
Thabeban State School
Thallon State School
The Gap State High School
The Gap State School
Tin Can Bay State School
Tinana State School
Toogoolawah State High School
Toogoolawah State School
Toowong State School
Torbanlea State School
Torquay State School
Upper Brookfield State School
Urangan Point State School
Urangan State High School
Walkervale State School
Wallaville State School
Wandoan State School P-10
Warra State School
Warrill View State School
Waterford State School
Waterford West State School
Wellers Hill State School
West End State School
Western Suburbs State Special School
Wheatlands State School
Widgee State School
Windera State School
Withcott State School
Woodcrest State College
WoodLinks State School
Woodridge North State School
Woodridge State High School
Woodridge State School
Wooroolin State School
Yarrabilba State School
Yarraman State School
Yarrilee State School
Yeronga State High School
Yeronga State School
Yugumbir State School
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