Southport State High School gets multimillion-dollar fix after fire destroys building

A Gold Coast school is to get a multimillion dollar transformation months after it was badly damaged by fire. TAKE A FIRST LOOK AT THE DESIGN

PLANS for a new multimillion-dollar building have been revealed at one of the Gold Coast's largest high schools. 

Set to replace  a building that was burnt down at the Southport State High School in October last year, the State Government has put forward its plans to construct the 3-storey complex, complete with 8 classrooms worth $8.9 million. 

The cost will be covered by the state insurance fund, as was revealed by member for Bonney Sam O'Connor following the incident. 

The new $8 million building set to be constructed at Southport State High School.

The new Southport State High School building will give community groups easier access to the facilities.

The development means the school can do away with temporary buildings and will increase the student enrolment capacity to 2,287.

The proposed changes will also open up the use of the facilities outside of school hours and add 6 extra car parks to the site. 

Submissions for the proposal are open until September 8th. 

Plans for Southport State High School's newest building.

The quick fix last year - 

STUDENTS heading back to Southport State High School were in for a surprise in October 2019, following a mammoth effort to have the campus reopened in time for the start of Term 4.

The school has been the site of an astonishing multimillion-dollar emergency transformation after it was struck by a massive fire just a few days earlier.

The blaze destroyed a two-storey building which had been home to computer rooms, staff spaces, toilets and special education classrooms.

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A large fire tore through Southport State High School in the early hours of Friday morning. Picture: Luke Mortimer

More than 100 crew members worked tirelessly over the long weekend to have the site safe and ready for the 2000 students returning to classes.

Two rows of new rooms have been constructed on an empty piece of land on the property, along with a third block of rooms for computer rooms.

The buildings, which are fully airconditioned and plumbed, with power, internet and flatscreen TVs, are likely to remain on school grounds for up to two years as discussions continue on a permanent replacement.

The former B block building has been razed to the slab, and will remain untouched until at least Christmas.

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The old building's concrete slab will remain untouched until term ends. Picture: Jerad Williams

Project manager Jeff Hunt, the deputy director general of the Department of Eduction, said it was the biggest fire disaster recovery the department had undertaken in Queensland.

“This is the largest school fire recovery effort that we’ve been involved with, that number of spaces, in this short period of time, without missing a day of school is an incredible achievement,” he said.

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Southport State High School's executive principal, Nigel Hughes and Deputy Director General Department of Education Queensland Jeff Hunt. Picture: Jerad Williams

“It’s significant to replace what was a heritage-listed building in the space of three days. It’s a record for us.”

Mr Hunt said the project was particularly challenging on a public holiday, with special permissions granted to overcome trucking restrictions in place in Queensland.

Southport State High School executive principal Nigel Hughes said the replacement buildings were “far superior” to what was there before.

“The silver lining in a really tragic turn of events is that we’ve got some better learning environments for our students, in some rooms we’ve double the size,” he said.

One of the new buildings at Southport State High School. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Mr Hughes said it would be mostly business as usual for students and teachers today.

“They’ll start class as normal at 8.50am,” he said.

“We’ll have staff at the gates to show them around and break the news to anyone who doesn’t know.”

On Monday night crews were putting the finishing touches on the redevelopment, laying grass and planting shrubs.

Teachers are given a through of the new buildings at the Southport High School after one of their buildings was destroyed in a fire. Picture: Jerad Williams

Grants have also been made available for the 22 staff members who lost belongings in the blaze.

A handful of staff were given a tour yesterday and gave the space the tick of approval.

“The students will be shocked when they see it, I think. They’ll be really excited,” teachers told the Bulletin.