Department yet to act on issues

MORE than 700 Building the Education Revolution projects were finished late, according to the latest analysis of the schedule in Victoria.

MORE than 700 Building the Education Revolution projects were finished late, with some of these still being finalised, according to the latest analysis of the construction schedule in Victoria.

Acting Victorian Auditor-General Peter Frost has found that 53 per cent of the 1323 projects intended to be finished in March 2011 had not been completed by the middle of last year.

Dr Frost found that 281 projects had finished up to three months late, 229 were up to six months behind schedule and 191 projects -- or 14 per cent of all BER buildings in Victoria -- were delayed by six months or more.

As of the end of last financial year, 42 BER projects still had not been finished.

But the report into the implementation of school infrastructure programs in Victoria had shown that BER and state construction had been broadly on budget, with BER suffering a 2.8 per cent cost overrun on the $2.5 billion Victorian investment. This amounted to $72 million.

The report was highly critical of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's failure to properly audit the BER and the Victorian Schools Plan, the latter being a state initiative.

"Also, despite this significant investment, major issues still exist within the school building portfolio and DEECD's asset management processes," the report found.

"In particular, DEECD needs to address the ongoing underfunding of school maintenance and the limited accountability across schools for the efficient, effective and economic use of maintenance funds."

The report found that despite billions being poured into infrastructure projects through the BER and by the Victorian government, many hundreds of school buildings were at the "point of failure, or have already failed".

The department estimates that $420m to be spent to fix buildings -- but less than $90m in maintenance funding -- was allocated to schools last year, 32 per cent of the recommended investment level.

The report called on DEECD to manage infrastructure more efficiently and cost-effectively.

"Historical underfunding of maintenance, a lack of life-cycle planning and a lack of accountability for schools' expenditure of maintenance funds are compromising the effective management of school buildings," the report said. "DEECD is aware of the need to enhance asset management practices, but has not yet taken effective action."

The Baillieu government said in reply it would spend more than $50m extra on "urgent maintenance" at more than 200 schools.