Classroom airconditioning: 440 schools wait 15 months for Education decision

An eye-watering list of NSW schools — set to experince sweltering temperatures in just a few months — have been waiting 15 months to find out if classrooms will get airconditioning.

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Thousands of students in almost 450 schools face another sweltering summer despite applications for air conditioned classroom being submitted 15 months ago.

The State Government has faced a parliamentary grilling from Labor about the rollout of round two of its $500 million school air conditioning program.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said in parliament 447 school applications had been received, “and they are currently being assessed” but did not say when they would be finalised.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said 112 units had already been installed in schools. Picture: Dean Lewins

The minister said a total of 112 schools had already seen air-conditioning systems installed through phase one of the program, with units currently being installed in a further 150 schools across the state. However, 657 schools from stage one were yet to see construction commence.

School Infrastructure NSW data, found on the department’s website revealed dozens of major western Sydney Schools, already promised airconditioning through round one of the program, are yet to see construction start.

The long list of schools awaiting construction include Castle Hill Public, Epping West Public, Liverpool Girls and Liverpool Boys high schools, Punchbowl Public and Birrong Boys and Girls high schools.

Parents like Kim Bremner from schools across the state have been forced to start petitions for school airconditioning.

“We want to make sure we have the very best outcome to students and teachers and what we are actually installing is an integrated air conditioning system,” Ms Mitchell said in parliament.

“This is additional work that we do now to deliver a better system in the long run and they are also systems that are being designed for each individual school, allowing them to keep the temperature and running costs low.”

Hundreds of schools are yet to hear from the government on if their stage two applications were successful.

The minister said 407 of the 919 schools had either had air conditioning systems installed, or were in the process of getting them, in the first 22 months of the program.

“We announced a $500 million program over five years … to fund the installation of airconditioning in more public school permanent learning spaces and libraries than ever before,” Ms Mitchell said.

Prue Car, NSW Shadow Minister for Education hit out at the slow rollout of airconditioning. Picture:Justin Lloyd

Shadow Education spokeswoman, Prue Car said the government’s delay in the rollout of the cooler classrooms project just didn’t make sense. “The NSW Government should be fast-tracking projects that create jobs, not putting them on a go-slow,” she said.

A NSW Education Department spokeswoman said due diligence site audits have been completed at a further 1919 schools across the state to assess the “condition, fitness for purpose and remaining useful life of existing air cooling, conditioning and heating”.

The department declined to provide information on applicants of round two of the program.