Heat goes on parents over aircon expenses

PARENTS of state school students who have raised money to install airconditioners are being asked to cough up more cash to cover the ongoing costs.

It is understood a number of Gold Coast Parents and Citizen groups that have worked to install the airconditioning units have been calling for annual contributions of up to $50 to cover additional fees for ongoing maintenance.

Only a handful of local schools were approved for airconditioning installation in the 2019-20 state budget, including Tamborine Mountain High, Tamborine Mountain State School and Beechmont State School.

Schools have been selected via heat discomfort data, which combines the highest average apparent temperature data and the highest number of school days in Term 1 and Term 4 above 30C.

Caningeraba State School in Burleigh Waters has called on parents to shell out $30 per year per student for “airconditioning reserves”, as has Miami State School, which also introduced a “family airconditioning voluntary contribution”.

“Help the P&C continue to offset the costs associated with the maintenance and running of the airconditioning units in our classrooms,” the Miami State School website says.

In 2019 Ashmore State School introduced a similar contribution, asking for $50 per student.

Environmental consultant Larissa Rose, director of Glowing Green Australia, who works with schools, said those hoping to install their own airconditioning needed to consider more than just the installation but should also consider funding solar panels to offset ongoing costs.

“There are many flow-on effects of airconditioning installation including increased electricity costs, and upgrading the school’s electricity system to handle it,” Ms Rose said.

“During a Gold Coast summer, schools could use air conditioners for approximately 40-50 days. Hence a sustainable policy would be to marry alongside this a solar renewable energy plan to implement solar panels.”