Mrs. Stojkovski asks how the McGowan government's school maintenance program will boost the WA economy and create jobs. The Premier outlines the program's scope, job creation estimates, and specific school allocations, highlighting its economic benefits and addressing past maintenance neglect.

AnsweredQoN 809Legislative Assembly
Asked
24 September 2019
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

PUBLIC SCHOOLS —
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
809. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented $200 million investment in carrying out
high-priority maintenance work across every school in Western Australia. Can
the Premier outline to the house how this significant maintenance program will
provide a direct and immediate boost to the Western Australian economy and help
to create jobs?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Kingsley for
the question—a member who is deeply committed to the schools in her
electorate. As part of the school maintenance blitz, schools in Kingsley will
be beneficiaries, just like every other public school across Western Australia.
This is one of the biggest single investments in school maintenance in the
history of our state. This is an additional injection of $200 million for major
maintenance work across every school in Western Australia. This will tackle
many of the outstanding maintenance jobs required in public schools across Western
Australia. It will provide a quick economic boost to communities across the
state.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Really!
It will provide an enormous and quick economic boost to
communities and suburbs across the state, and a pipeline of work for Western Australia's tradies. We
expect that, all up, it will create 3 150 Western Australian jobs—1 900 in the metropolitan area and 1 260 in the regions. These are jobs for
electricians, painters, plumbers, builders and carpenters. Because of the
changes we made to the direct-to-market framework, much of this work will be
able to get underway very quickly because schools will be able to directly
employ local contractors to undertake the work. All up, 789 public schools will
benefit through classroom refurbishments, electrical upgrades, toilets, playing
surfaces, paths, car parks, solar panels, roof replacements and shade
structures. Schools all over the state and in every electorate across Western Australia
will benefit. Member for Burns Beach, there is $1.5 million for Currambine
Primary School; member for Pilbara, there is $1.8 million for Baler Primary
School and $1.8 million for maintenance at South Hedland; member for Roe, there
is $1.67 million for Katanning Senior High School; Leader of the Nationals WA,
there is $1 million for Merredin College; and member for South Perth, there is
$1 million for Como Secondary College. Well done, member for South Perth; great
work! Member for Kalgoorlie, there is $1 million for Kambalda West District
High School. All this is on top of the $450 million we are already investing in
capital works across schools in Western Australia. This is all outstanding
maintenance that was left to us. We are
fixing the problems of the last government and we can do it because we have
strong financial management back again in Western Australia.

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