NSW Covid cleaning: Minister accuses former government of ‘forgetting’ school contracts

The state government has accused the Perrottet administration of “forgetting” about Covid school cleaning contracts worth $30m a term, but the previous education minister disagrees.

Disenfection being used outdoors at a NSW school, a practice since described as “utterly useless”. Picture: Joel Carrett

The state government has accused Dominic Perrottet’s administration of “forgetting” about Covid school cleaning contracts worth $30m a term, although the previous education minister rejected that assertion and said their extension was taken on health and departmental advice.

The Daily Telegraph revealed on Wednesday the state government was still paying $30m per term to disinfect schools for Covid, long after restrictions finished and the World Health Organisation declared the health emergency over.

“You saw pictures during Covid of disinfectant being sprayed outside, that was completely and utterly useless,” infectious disease expert Peter Collignon said.

After the Minns government confirmed they would now cancel the program from next term, Finance Minister Courtney Houssos laid the blame on the doorstep of the previous administration.

“The former government put in place sensible programs at the height of the pandemic but then forgot about them,” she said, alleging the Covid cleaning contracts were “forgotten”.

Finance Minister Courtney Houssos blamed the costs on the previous government. Picture: David Swift

The disinfection program had cost the NSW taxpayer $64.9m this year, on top of $160m in general cleaning costs.

However, that contract cancellation for term 3 came about when raised by this publication and former Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the decision to extend the cleaning in term 1 was “based on departmental and health advice at the time”, and on the canvas of teacher groups.

Term 2 contracts were filed during the caretaker period.

Former Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the term 1 decision was on health advice and term 2 was during caretaker mode. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Professor Collignon said, while not across the contracts’ specifics, the outlay was too much and urged “prudence”.

“Cleaning and physically removing dirt are very important, but there’s no need for disinfectant overkill, which mainly works against bacteria,” the Australian National University professor said.

“If you’re spending almost 50 per cent extra spraying chemicals everywhere, which probably didn’t make a lot of difference, I think there’s a problem.”

Infectious diseases physician and microbiologist Dr Peter Collignon warned against “disinfectant overkill”. Picture: AAP

The term 2 contracts were split across four multimillion-dollar companies.

Australian-based ISS Facility Services received almost half of the $64.9m, earning contracts worth $29.3m to clean schools in Sydney, southwest Sydney and the north coast.

British-based Serco, who previously operated the Ghan and Indian Pacific trains, and who provide services for Transport for NSW, received $6.6m to clean in north Sydney.

Sydney-based Ventia was awarded contracts to clean across western Sydney, the Hunter and Central Coast, to the tune of $10.2m.

Albury’s Joss Facility Management cleaned schools in southern and northwestern NSW, receiving $18.9m.

Transport for NSW does not have a specific Covid cleaning program or cost.

All four companies were contacted. A Serco spokeswoman deferred questions to the government.

A Transport for NSW spokesman confirmed Covid-specific cleaning had been absorbed into its general cleaning program and costs, which was “reviewed regularly”.

“Sydney Train’s regular program now includes enhanced measures to protect from the spread of Covid and seasonal illnesses,” he said.

The Communities and Justice Department were also contacted to ascertain their cleaning policies and cost, but deferred questions to the premier.