Adelaide Botanic High School

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills. Is the Department for Education preparing contingency plans should the Adelaide Botanic High School build not be completed in time for the beginning of 2024?

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (15:05): I thank the member for Morialta for this question. I appreciate greatly the opportunity to talk about Adelaide Botanic High School. I know my neighbour is always very happy for me to speak about this, as is the member for West Torrens, of course, because before the last state election both parties made a commitment to increase the capacity of Adelaide Botanic High School by 700 places. The only difference between the policies of the two parties was that on this side we committed to using those 700 places to reinstate those suburbs that had been cut in 2019 from the shared CBD zone by those opposite.

The question that the member for Morialta asks, I think, is in reference to some of the media that we did last week, when we were doing our best to encourage Adelaide City Council to do the right thing and get on with the approvals that we need to get the piece of land that is adjacent to Adelaide Botanic High School and start the build. The chief executive, Professor Martin Westwell, when he was asked made a comment around, as the member for Morialta asked, what contingencies are in place just in case that work is not done.

I am pleased to advise the house that I think it is tonight that Adelaide City Council, we expect, will provide final sign-off for this project. This means that I am confident that construction on the site will actually begin this year, which will enable the school to be open for the 2024 school year. If for some reason that is not the case—which I do not anticipate it to be—of course, you would expect a prudent government to have something in place.

The chief executive commented that he was looking around what space or classes might be available at the university nearby just in case the Adelaide Botanic High School expansion wasn't ready. However, I am pleased that, given the significant progress we have made in the last seven days and Adelaide City Council now coming on board—tonight, hopefully, ratifying that decision—construction can start this year.

We are not going to have to be in a position where we have to do that. In fact, we will have that expansion ready, as we promised before the state election, to be operational by the 2024 school year. I am happy to read those suburbs or part suburbs into Hansard. Torrensville, Mile End, Hilton, Richmond, Marleston, Kurralta Park, Glandore, Black Forest and Clarence Park are the suburbs which I think were excised from that zone which will then be able to be back into the shared CBD zone—fantastic news not just for families in those suburbs that were cut, but also for families in the Adelaide City Council area who are looking to have their children at either Adelaide High School or Adelaide Botanic High School in the future.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before we turn to grievances, I observe that there was only a single government question today following the conclusion of a line of questioning from the member for Frome.