❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses COVID ventilation audits in schools. The Minister's response indicates a review is underway, considering various factors and interstate approaches, but no audit has been completed.
AnsweredQoN 890Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — SCHOOLS — VENTILATION
890. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Minister for Education and
Training:
(1) Has a COVID
ventilation audit been undertaken for all schools and classrooms across the
state; and, if not, why not?
(2) How many schools and classrooms
had inadequate COVID ventilation?
(3) Of those in
(2), how many have been rectified and how many are awaiting rectification?
(4) When does the minister expect
this work to be completed?
890. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Minister for Education and
Training:
(1) Has a COVID
ventilation audit been undertaken for all schools and classrooms across the
state; and, if not, why not?
(2) How many schools and classrooms
had inadequate COVID ventilation?
(3) Of those in
(2), how many have been rectified and how many are awaiting rectification?
(4) When does the minister expect
this work to be completed?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The approach
to reviewing ventilation in schools is currently being considered based on
health advice.
(2)–(3) Not
applicable.
(4) The
Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has asked states to consider
ventilation when they are considering how we move forward with schools. Western
Australia is considering that. I think it is useful to note, when we look to
the eastern states, that New South Wales has done one thing and Victoria has done another thing. New South Wales is not
going with ventilation filters; Victoria is. We will consider that and we will also get our own advice on the
best way to handle it in Western Australia. It is also in some part
dependent on the existing building construction. The member can appreciate that
some schools are designed in a particular way. There is a variation of that. We
have to take into account the design of the school,
the type of the air conditioner that applies and whether windows can be opened.
All those things are currently being considered.
some notice of the question.
(1) The approach
to reviewing ventilation in schools is currently being considered based on
health advice.
(2)–(3) Not
applicable.
(4) The
Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has asked states to consider
ventilation when they are considering how we move forward with schools. Western
Australia is considering that. I think it is useful to note, when we look to
the eastern states, that New South Wales has done one thing and Victoria has done another thing. New South Wales is not
going with ventilation filters; Victoria is. We will consider that and we will also get our own advice on the
best way to handle it in Western Australia. It is also in some part
dependent on the existing building construction. The member can appreciate that
some schools are designed in a particular way. There is a variation of that. We
have to take into account the design of the school,
the type of the air conditioner that applies and whether windows can be opened.
All those things are currently being considered.
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