State government plans upgrade for Sunshine Coast’s Coolum State School

Coolum State School is slated for a refurbishment but the date for shovels to go into the ground is not clear as parents reveal their wishlists.

MP Dan Purdie is calling for urgent upgrades to a growing school in Coolum.

A highly-regarded Sunshine Coast school is still awaiting the announcement of a start date for key works to begin on long-awaited upgrades.

Coolum State School – founded in 1917 – is due for upgrades with a master plan for works due to be complete by the start of the 2023 school year, but a date is yet to be set for shovels to hit the ground.

Ninderry MP Dan Purdie said about 10 demountables at the school, which were built in the 1970s, were prone to flooding and the grounds around them became mud-filled after heavy rain.

The MP claimed about half of the thousand schoolchildren were taught in “asbestos-ridden demountables” and school enrolments were expected to increase to about 1200 in the next few years.

“It is a great school, it’s highly regarded, the principal and the teachers are getting great results but it’s time for modern learning facilities,” Mr Purdie said.

Member for Ninderry Dan Purdie has described the school’s facilities as “asbestos-ridden”. Picture: Josh Woning

An Education Queensland spokesman said the school’s last asbestos audit was finished in 2019 and the next one was scheduled for 2023-24.

“A project to remove asbestos in wall partitioning in H Block was completed in December 2022 with a clearance certificate issued and temporary partitions installed,” he said.

Sarah Porter and her daughter Callie, who is in Prep at Coolum State School, wants the establishment of a Prep precinct. Picture: Letea Cavander

“New partitions are expected to be delivered for installation in the coming weeks.”

Mum Sarah Porter, a teacher of 10 years, said Prep students like her daughter Callie were spread throughout the school and it would be good if they were together and had their own space.

Eliza Weis, mum of Grade 1 student Angus Ruiter, said she liked the historic feel of the school but improvements were needed.

“The community’s evolving so the school needs to evolve too,” she said.

Ned Ruiter, mum Eliza Weis and Grade One student Angus Ruiter. Picture: Letea Cavander

In December last year, in a question on notice in state parliament, the government promised the master plan for the school would be finished by the start of the 2023 school year and an Education Queensland spokesman said the plan was finished in 2022.

Areas for improvement included the administration building, establishing year level precincts, off-street parking and drop-off zones.

However, the government has not yet set a date for works to start.

An Education Queensland spokesman said the now-completed plan provided a “long-term vision and guide” for future infrastructure.

“The department is using the master plan to consider the school’s infrastructure requirements together with those of schools across the state,” he said.

The spokesman said traffic management was a “key consideration” and the master plan noted the Department of Transport and Main Roads was proposing works at the southeast boundary of the school.

“However, timing of this work is not stipulated,” he said.