❓ The Minister for Education outlines the Cook Labor government's $1.6 billion investment in school infrastructure, detailing specific projects and addressing enrolment pressures, particularly in East Perth, while criticising the City of Perth's lack of partnership.
AnsweredQoN 287Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS — CAPITAL WORKS
287. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Education:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's $1.6 billion investment in school
infrastructure in the upcoming state budget.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this record investment will deliver both new
and improved infrastructure at public schools across Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise what this will mean for students, teachers and families across Western
Australia?
287. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Education:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's $1.6 billion investment in school
infrastructure in the upcoming state budget.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this record investment will deliver both new
and improved infrastructure at public schools across Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise what this will mean for students, teachers and families across Western
Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Landsdale for her question. She has long been an advocate
for quality public education in Western Australia. Before I get onto the
substance of the member's question, and with regard to teachers, it is
fantastic that there has been an in-principle agreement by the executive to put
to the members this fantastic offer that we
have made. It goes to us respecting the value of teachers and principals and our public education system. I thank the Minister for Industrial Relations
for the way that she has negotiated that agreement. Thank you very much.
I am glad that the member asked me
this question. Last week, I had the pleasure of joining the Premier, the member
for Jandakot and Hon Stephen Pratt, MLC, at the fantastic Piara Waters Senior
High School to announce another significant investment in public education. We
announced that in tomorrow's budget that
the Treasurer will bring down—a fantastic budget; only one more sleep—we
will be investing a further $410 million
in Western Australian school infrastructure. We are also committing to a $1.6
billion investment over the forward
estimates in infrastructure in our public school system. That means we will be
building on WA Labor government's record $4.4 billion education
infrastructure investment since 2017—phenomenal! No government
previously has achieved such an investment in our public education
infrastructure. This list is long, but I will try to keep it short because I do
want to break the record that the Minister for Health might have just set. It includes $88.4 million for three new public
primary schools to open in 2027; $73.2 million for stage 2 of the Piara Waters
Senior High School development; $28.4 million towards the construction
of two new primary schools within Wellard East and Wungong; $26.5 million for a
double-storey block at Caversham Primary School; $21.8 million for the
relocation of Mount Hawthorn Education Support Centre to Lake Monger Primary
School; $15 million for fast-track planning for a new secondary school in Brabham; $2.4 million for planning for a number of
schools including Como Secondary College and also, member for Roe,
Esperance Senior High School; and a $12 million investment for new two-storey
modular classroom block for Highgate Primary School.
Since
2017 when Labor was returned to government in Western Australia, we have opened
32 new primary schools with two more to open in 2025, while 10 new high
schools have also been built. I mentioned the investment in Highgate Primary
School and the enrolment pressures. There has been great local advocacy there by the member for Perth. Last Wednesday, 1
May, I noticed there was an article in The West Australian titled
''Supersizing the city'' in which the Lord Mayor of Perth talks
about his unashamed desire for more residents in the City of Perth to be
achieved through an increase in plot ratios, including a 152 per cent increase
in Claisebrook and a 62 per cent increase in East Perth. The Lord Mayor said —
We all know that having more people
living and working in the city supports business, supports a vibrant capital
city and community.''
I could not agree with him more.
However, I think some of those people living there might have children who need
to go to a primary school. We as a government are prepared—ready to go.
We will create a fantastic new primary
school in East Perth. The only thing stopping us is the City of Perth. The Lord
Mayor keeps saying that maybe the minister should be taken away from
negotiations. Does he not understand that I am
not freewheeling on this? This is the government's position. We are
solid behind what we believe is right for East Perth and the state of Western
Australia. We are ready to start this fantastic investment in East Perth. The Lord Mayor and the City of
Perth talk about a partnership. What are they bringing to the partnership? Nothing. We are prepared to invest
over $100 million in a public primary school in East Perth , plus unlock
the potential of up to $27.5 million on a block of land that we will return to
the city, which at the moment can be used only for a car park. Once again, I ask
the City of Perth to come to the table and work in partnership with us because
this is a government that is prepared to invest in infrastructure for public
schools, whether they are in the inner city, outer part of the metropolitan
region or the country area. We stand here on a great record and tomorrow's
budget will confirm that.
thank the member for Landsdale for her question. She has long been an advocate
for quality public education in Western Australia. Before I get onto the
substance of the member's question, and with regard to teachers, it is
fantastic that there has been an in-principle agreement by the executive to put
to the members this fantastic offer that we
have made. It goes to us respecting the value of teachers and principals and our public education system. I thank the Minister for Industrial Relations
for the way that she has negotiated that agreement. Thank you very much.
I am glad that the member asked me
this question. Last week, I had the pleasure of joining the Premier, the member
for Jandakot and Hon Stephen Pratt, MLC, at the fantastic Piara Waters Senior
High School to announce another significant investment in public education. We
announced that in tomorrow's budget that
the Treasurer will bring down—a fantastic budget; only one more sleep—we
will be investing a further $410 million
in Western Australian school infrastructure. We are also committing to a $1.6
billion investment over the forward
estimates in infrastructure in our public school system. That means we will be
building on WA Labor government's record $4.4 billion education
infrastructure investment since 2017—phenomenal! No government
previously has achieved such an investment in our public education
infrastructure. This list is long, but I will try to keep it short because I do
want to break the record that the Minister for Health might have just set. It includes $88.4 million for three new public
primary schools to open in 2027; $73.2 million for stage 2 of the Piara Waters
Senior High School development; $28.4 million towards the construction
of two new primary schools within Wellard East and Wungong; $26.5 million for a
double-storey block at Caversham Primary School; $21.8 million for the
relocation of Mount Hawthorn Education Support Centre to Lake Monger Primary
School; $15 million for fast-track planning for a new secondary school in Brabham; $2.4 million for planning for a number of
schools including Como Secondary College and also, member for Roe,
Esperance Senior High School; and a $12 million investment for new two-storey
modular classroom block for Highgate Primary School.
Since
2017 when Labor was returned to government in Western Australia, we have opened
32 new primary schools with two more to open in 2025, while 10 new high
schools have also been built. I mentioned the investment in Highgate Primary
School and the enrolment pressures. There has been great local advocacy there by the member for Perth. Last Wednesday, 1
May, I noticed there was an article in The West Australian titled
''Supersizing the city'' in which the Lord Mayor of Perth talks
about his unashamed desire for more residents in the City of Perth to be
achieved through an increase in plot ratios, including a 152 per cent increase
in Claisebrook and a 62 per cent increase in East Perth. The Lord Mayor said —
We all know that having more people
living and working in the city supports business, supports a vibrant capital
city and community.''
I could not agree with him more.
However, I think some of those people living there might have children who need
to go to a primary school. We as a government are prepared—ready to go.
We will create a fantastic new primary
school in East Perth. The only thing stopping us is the City of Perth. The Lord
Mayor keeps saying that maybe the minister should be taken away from
negotiations. Does he not understand that I am
not freewheeling on this? This is the government's position. We are
solid behind what we believe is right for East Perth and the state of Western
Australia. We are ready to start this fantastic investment in East Perth. The Lord Mayor and the City of
Perth talk about a partnership. What are they bringing to the partnership? Nothing. We are prepared to invest
over $100 million in a public primary school in East Perth , plus unlock
the potential of up to $27.5 million on a block of land that we will return to
the city, which at the moment can be used only for a car park. Once again, I ask
the City of Perth to come to the table and work in partnership with us because
this is a government that is prepared to invest in infrastructure for public
schools, whether they are in the inner city, outer part of the metropolitan
region or the country area. We stand here on a great record and tomorrow's
budget will confirm that.
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