Bushfires: NSW faces $20m bill to rebuild damaged schools

More than 170 schools damaged by fire across NSW will be ready to open their doors to students on the first day of term one.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell says it is important schools ­reopen so that a ‘sense of normality’ could return to the devastated community. Picture: Adam Yip

More than 170 schools damaged by fire across NSW — including two that were completely destroyed — will be ready to open their doors to students on the first day of term one, with the statewide repair bill expected to hit $20m.

Mental health clinicians and school chaplains will also be allocated to support bushfire-affected communities in recovering from their experiences.

The NSW Education Department has undertaken “unprecedented” work across bushfire-affected communities, ranging from replacing damaged school equipment, playgrounds and fencing to cleaning up ash contamination and fire ­retardant.

Bobin and Wytaliba public schools in the state’s northeast have been completely rebuilt after fire swept through both communities in early November, destroying dozens of properties and claiming two lives.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell, who visited Bobin on Friday to check on the works, said it was important the school ­reopen so that a “sense of normality” could return to the devastated community.

“We know schools are the heart of communities and will play an important role in the recovery from these fires,” Ms Mitchell said.

“It’s crucial for students to be reconnected with friends, share stories and return to their school routine after what has been a ­traumatic time.

“We are on track for that to be the case in 12 days’ time because we know how important it is.”

The remains of Strathewen Primary School near King Lake. Picture: News Limited

So far, 178 public schools have been flagged as needing work, in addition to 14 Catholic schools and two independent schools.

In Victoria, Clifton Creek Primary School was irreparably damaged in early January when fire ravaged East Gippsland.

Demolition and site-clearing works were due to be completed on Friday and relocatable buildings had begun arriving on the site so that students would have a school to attend from the beginning of term one.

The state’s Education Department is still assessing whether other schools across impacted areas require assistance with clean-up or minor maintenance.

Bushfire-affected communities are also poised to benefit from extra mental health support, with federal Education Minister Dan Tehan announcing $8m for ­Beyond Blue to provide an extra 25 clinicians and counsellors to assist schools and early childhood education services.

He said extra funding would also be provided for school chaplains, and that would be made available to state and territory governments on request.

Mr Tehan, who convened a meeting of education sector representatives during the week, said an overriding message from the discussion was the need to support young people’s mental health “because these bushfires will impact communities long after the flames are extinguished”.

In Bobin, bushfire had been burning in the nearby national park for at least three weeks when local principal Diane Myer “had a bad feeling” and decided against opening the small public school on November 8, telling her 15 pupils to remain at home.

By midday, the fire had roared down the mountain and engulfed the school grounds, destroying an administration building and the main classroom. Only the library remained standing.

Teacher Sarah Parker, who was several kilometres away trying to protect her home from the fire, said community members had been anxious to see the small school reopen. “It’s part of our recovery after everything we’ve been through,” she said. “It means so much to the town.”

The federal government has also announced that it would ­remove the childcare subsidy ­activity test for families in affected areas, meaning their payments won’t be affected in the event their work or study has been impacted by the fires.