❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the funding of basic items for schools by Parents and Citizens Associations, seeking data on maintenance backlogs, budgets, and wait times. The answer provides some data from a 2018 survey and outlines government initiatives to address maintenance issues.
AnsweredQoN 5989Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the increased demand for Parents and Citizens Associations to fund basic items for schools, and I ask: (a) For each year between 2016 and 2020, how much is the maintenance backlog for regional public schools; (b) For each electorate, please provide the maintenance backlog and the maintenance budget breakdown; (c) With regards to (b), what percentage is attributed to regular maintenance and what is attributed to outstanding issues; (d) What are the major maintenance issues recorded; (e) How much of the student one-line budget is apportioned for Principals to meet maintenance issues; and (f) What is the average wait time for maintenance issues?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 March 2020
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Education and Training
Response time
6 days
Parents and Citizens Associations typically contribute toward minor works and improvements to their schools. The McGowan Government has supported local P&Cs in these efforts by introducing the Direct to Market program which allows schools to procure works direct from the market, saving money and creating local jobs.
In September 2019, the Government also announced the $200 million school maintenance package which addresses high priority, outstanding maintenance works at every public school in WA. The school maintenance blitz represents one of the biggest investments in WA schools. In addition to the annual maintenance spend, the Department of Education has an urgent works program to address breakdown and repair issues in schools as they arise.
The Department of Education does not record the maintenance backlog annually. The best measure is provided by the Building Condition Assessment which provides an estimate of the outstanding costs of visible defects at a point of time. The survey is undertaken every three to four years, with the most recent survey completed in 2018. The information is not updated between surveys. Items in the survey fall within a variety of risk categories from low to high. The information below is based on the 2018 survey.
(a) $51.5 million in 2018.
(b) Albany $1 826 960
Bunbury $4 919 959
Central Wheatbelt $4 755 993
Collie-Preston $5 805 633
Dawesville $1 606 711
Geraldton $1 592 389
Kalgoorlie $2 310 574
Kimberley $6 318 185
Mandurah $765 210
Moore $3 514 774
Murray-Wellington $3 167 416
North West Central $934 557
Pilbara $2 704 102
Roe $7 284 419
Vasse $747 688
Warren-Blackwood $3 241 234
(c) Routine maintenance and repairs of faults and breakdowns are not included in the Department’s Building Condition Assessment process.
(d) Major maintenance issues recorded include breakdowns and faults to:
Maintenance of schools is funded centrally, although schools may elect to use their allocated funds to undertake maintenance or minor works. In addition, in October 2019, every school in Western Australia received a maintenance funding allocation as part of the McGowan Government’s $200 million school maintenance blitz.
(e) The response time for maintenance issues is not measured as it depends on priority.
In September 2019, the Government also announced the $200 million school maintenance package which addresses high priority, outstanding maintenance works at every public school in WA. The school maintenance blitz represents one of the biggest investments in WA schools. In addition to the annual maintenance spend, the Department of Education has an urgent works program to address breakdown and repair issues in schools as they arise.
The Department of Education does not record the maintenance backlog annually. The best measure is provided by the Building Condition Assessment which provides an estimate of the outstanding costs of visible defects at a point of time. The survey is undertaken every three to four years, with the most recent survey completed in 2018. The information is not updated between surveys. Items in the survey fall within a variety of risk categories from low to high. The information below is based on the 2018 survey.
(a) $51.5 million in 2018.
(b) Albany $1 826 960
Bunbury $4 919 959
Central Wheatbelt $4 755 993
Collie-Preston $5 805 633
Dawesville $1 606 711
Geraldton $1 592 389
Kalgoorlie $2 310 574
Kimberley $6 318 185
Mandurah $765 210
Moore $3 514 774
Murray-Wellington $3 167 416
North West Central $934 557
Pilbara $2 704 102
Roe $7 284 419
Vasse $747 688
Warren-Blackwood $3 241 234
(c) Routine maintenance and repairs of faults and breakdowns are not included in the Department’s Building Condition Assessment process.
(d) Major maintenance issues recorded include breakdowns and faults to:
Maintenance of schools is funded centrally, although schools may elect to use their allocated funds to undertake maintenance or minor works. In addition, in October 2019, every school in Western Australia received a maintenance funding allocation as part of the McGowan Government’s $200 million school maintenance blitz.
(e) The response time for maintenance issues is not measured as it depends on priority.
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