Southport State High School bouncing back after ’tragic’ fire
An impressive recovery effort is in full swing ahead of the looming start of the Term. The fire which destroyed a heritage-listed block is believed to be suspicious.
Gold Coast
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A HERITAGE-LISTED wing of a Gold Coast high school has already been torn down as part of a “massive recovery effort” after a suspicious fire gutted the building on Friday.
Fire investigators from Queensland Police Service continue to delve into how the blaze ignited on the second-storey of the historic school block at Southport State High at 2.20am on Friday.
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Investigators used drones to inspect the B Block building, believed to contain asbestos.
No arrests had been made or charges laid, confirmed a police spokesman yesterday, and he urged anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious to contact police.
Meanwhile, principal Nigel Hughes said in a statement on the school’s Facebook page yesterday school had made “tremendous progress” in its recovery.
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New temporary buildings had been installed and steps, paths, plumbing and electricity were being connected, he said.
Mr Hughes was “amazed and impressed” by the “herculean” effort put in by the Department of Education, contractor Fleetwood and QBuild.
“This massive task is one of two halves – the demolition element and, at the same time, the new building installation,” he said.
“The last parts of the B Block demolition and debris removal is on track to be completed today and on the other side of the school, the new building works continue at pace.
“Can I again thank you all for staying away from the school over the weekend.
“Our school motto “Respice Finern” (to look to the end result) has come to mean a great deal more to me during this recovery effort.”
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Mr Hughes said nearly 100 people had been working on site.
“We continue to work towards the goal of having the school open for Tuesday but this is all still contingent on having the appropriate certification and safety clearances for our site,” he said.
“We can, and only will, return to our school if it is safety for our students, staff and community.”
Mr Hughes said he would keep parents in the loop.
On Saturday, he said new buildings had already been trucked in to fill in for B Block.
“Late (Saturday), the B Block demolition works have taken the building effectively down to the slab with 24 truckloads of debris having been removed,” Mr Hughes said.
Mr Hughes said workers toiled “into the night” on Saturday to help the school bounce back “from this terrible event”.
Students are due to return from school holidays on Tuesday.
The decimated block contained nine spaces, including special education, computer labs, staffrooms and learning areas.
Mr Hughes thanked the Parents and Citizens Association “for their tremendous support and the numerous school staff who are going out of their way in support of this massive recovery effort”.
“While this has been a devastating event for our school, the spirit and optimism of our school community is clearly shining through,” he said.
About 1815 students are enrolled at Southport State High School, according to the department.
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