School costs cut by $20m
STATE budget papers show capital works funding to Gold Coast schools has been cut by more than $20 million despite the city’s north growing faster than any other region in Australia.
The Palaszczuk Government says it is committed to building new schools at Coomera and Pimpama and struck a good deal for taxpayers in a construction program that cut costs for the new schools.
But the Opposition believes the new schools will be downsized and not built on time, sparking a blazing political row.
Education Minister Kate Jones last week promised the new Coomera Primary School would open on the first day of term in 2018 and cater for students from Prep to Year Six.
“We will always build new classrooms and new schools to cater for growth on the Gold Coast,” Ms Jones said.
“Right now we are delivering more than $73 million in new school infrastructure on the Gold Coast including a new primary school at Coomera.
“We achieved a significant saving for taxpayers for this new school through an innovative tender process.”
The Government maintains the cost savings occurred after shrewd negotiations on three school projects across southeast Queensland which reduced the overall quote.
But the Opposition is not convinced with previous capital statements showing the Coomera school was costed at $50.4 million in 2016-17. The latest capital works statements reveal the project will now only cost $32.7 million, with some of that money for work after 2017-18.
A Government spreadsheet on Coast schools funding shows 21 projects worth more than $38 million for 2017-18.
Apart from Coomera, the other big ticket item is $6 million for stage four works at the Pimpama State Secondary College.
The capital works budget for Education and Training for the Coast in 2016-17 was $88.8 million.
It is listed at $67.9 million for 2017-18 in the latest Budget papers, but Labor argues that amount is more than double the last contribution to the Coast by the Newman Government.
Opposition education spokesman Tracy Davis said: “Gold Coast students will be crammed in classrooms longer after a promised new school for Coomera is delayed and scaled back.
“More concerning for students and parents is the fact the new Coomera school has been scaled back and downsized after almost $18 million was slashed from the overall budget.”
Ms Davis said the latest Budget figures showed the Government had abandoned the Coast when it comes to education investment.
“Overall capital funding has been slashed by $20 million across the Gold Coast. Less capital funding means less jobs for local Gold Coast businesses to help build and maintain our classrooms,” she said.