School aircons installed but with no air or power
Airconditioning units installed under a State Government scheme at a southeast Queensland school were unworkable after it was discovered they wouldn’t work until a power upgrade was performed. But that wasn’t the only problem.
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The State Government has rushed to cool down classrooms at a southeast Queensland school because it can’t turn on its new airconditioning units which had forced the removal of some fans.
Tamborine Mountain State School has been unable to turn on its airconditioning after they were installed in 2019 because they now require a power upgrade.
And some fans were removed to fit the units “leaving those rooms with a substandard cooling system”.
Engineers rushed to the school to find an interim solution this week after The Courier-Mail asked questions about the issue on Monday.
Power upgrades were also recently required at Park Ridge State High School which have now been finalised in time for Term 4.
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The Courier-Mail asked Education Minister Grace Grace and her department this week whether any other schools had been unable to use their airconditioning which had been installed as part of the Government’s highly spruiked $477 million Cooler, Cleaner Schools Program.
But neither provided an answer.
The Courier-Mail has seen a letter from TMSS P & C president and school council chair to the LNP dated August 19 which says, “It is unacceptable for air conditioners to be installed in 2019 and not be operational until mid to late 2021. (2 years into their warranty period).”
“Providing airconditioning to schools is one thing, delivering comfort is another.”
LNP education spokesman Jarrod Bleijie slammed the revelations, claiming it was a “huge maladministration” of the program.
“The Labor Government are now delivering aircons without air and power,” he said.
“They have given false hope that schools will have properly functioning airconditioning.”
But Ms Grace hit back, saying upgrades would be funded through the program’s existing budget.
“An upgrade has already been finished at Park Ridge SHS, and at Tamborine Mountain State School engineers have found an interim solution to ensure the majority of units that have been installed will be able to be switched on in term 4,” she said.
“They (LNP) will not aircondition libraries or staffrooms and will not install a single solar panel on any school across Queensland.
“And their policy of only airconditioning classrooms will not be delivered until 2028.”
A department spokesman said electrical upgrades that required upgraded fuses or transformers were being addressed at schools where necessary.