School and Preschool Maintenance Programs

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government's school and preschool maintenance programs will help to maintain employment and support the economy during COVID-19?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:41): I am really pleased to have this question from the member for Flinders because I know that he is concerned, as are all members, about how we can ensure, during this time of challenge and of crisis, that we can best support our young people in their education and their development to ensure that our schools and preschools can come out of this crisis stronger than before, to ensure that the impacts of the decisions we make in relation to maintenance and infrastructure support our economy and support maintaining jobs.

One of the things that we have done as a government in recent weeks is to improve and enhance the maintenance offerings that our central education department is providing for schools. Some of this work has been needed for a long time. It is not necessarily the thing that develops the exciting photographs and the visualisations of a transformed school but, without this maintenance work, the delivery of education becomes much more complex and challenging.

One of the other benefits of enhanced maintenance programs is that these are often jobs that can be done quickly and money that can be in the local economy quickly, supporting trades and local small businesses in a very rapid manner. It is an outstanding form of stimulus in an economy, and that is something that we are going to see rolled out across South Australia like never before over the course of this year.

Schools are generally responsible for minor maintenance works in their environment. They are funded to do that as part of their standard funding, and that happens. When a school has a maintenance project that they would like to seek central support for, there is a fund in the tens of millions of dollars every year from central office that helps with those centrally funded maintenance projects. In addition to that, this year we have increased the maintenance budget from central office by $25 million. There are more than 100 projects across public schools across South Australia.

The member for Flinders would be pleased to know that a number of schools in his electorate will benefit from this at Cleve, Wudinna, Streaky Bay and Ungarra. Streaky Bay is getting $270,000 for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, emphasis on the air conditioning. There are projects right across this state, from Streaky Bay to Mount Gambier. I spoke to the member for Mount Gambier last week. He was very pleased to hear about projects in his electorate, including $155,000 to fix salt damp and a retaining wall at Compton Primary School. The member for Florey has Pooraka Primary School in the city. I think she took a particular delight in hearing that $110,000 is supporting a rebitumenisation project there and other projects.

Right across this state, schools are benefiting from roofing projects, bitumenisation projects, retaining walls, painting and other things that will improve the amenity of schools. Particularly new projects that I am very pleased to announce, and which preschool directors and communities around South Australia were very pleased to hear about, were $7.6 million going towards preschool grants—$20,000 grants to every public preschool in South Australia.

I was with the member for Newland at the St Agnes Primary School and preschool. They're going to put their $20,000 grant towards a really good project to improve their kitchen and storage area to improve the amenity of that site. Some will do painting and some will do shade structures. This will ensure that our preschools and our schools come out of the crisis better than before, stronger than before, and it will also do great things to support jobs, with money going into the economy for tradespeople and small businesses right across South Australia.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The minister quoted from a document in response to the member for Flinders about a school in his electorate. Could you ask him to table that document, sir?

The SPEAKER: The time being 2.45, I will refer to the footage, and if the minister was quoting I may ask him to table it. I don't believe he was.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I have notes that I referred to. I am happy to offer them to you to have a look at and if, indeed, I did say that I was quoting and you think they are an official note, I will be happy to be guided by your judgement.

The SPEAKER: I will look at that and, Mr Clerk, if we can get the footage, please. If he was quoting from material and it needs to be tabled, then I may order so.