House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Parliamentary Committees Parliamentary Committees Public Works Committee: Brahma Lodge Kindergarten New Facility Public Works Committee: Brahma Lodge Kindergarten New Facility Ms HOOD House of Assembly Adelaide Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (11:02): I move: That the 119^th report of the committee, entitled Brahma Lodge Kindergarten New Facility, be noted. Brahma Lodge Kindergarten is located within the Salisbury local government area at 64 The Strand, Brahma Lodge. The project proposed by the Department for Education will relocate the kindergarten to Brahma Lodge Primary School, located at 20 Mortess Street, Brahma Lodge. A socio-economic guide known as the Index of Educational Disadvantage is used to allocate resources to schools in need of support. This index considers both the Brahma Lodge Kindergarten and Brahma Lodge Primary School to be category 1 institutions, which indicates they serve the most socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Both the kindergarten and primary school have a high number of children from families that have English as a second language, with several children utilising the Inclusive Education Support Program, which provides funds for behaviour, speech and language needs. This project will provide a modern facility for early childhood education and care that meets legislative compliance requirements and will deliver the department's benchmark accommodation for preschool-age children, with a key aim of the project to co-locate the kindergarten with the primary school to provide a seamless transition between preschool and school, as well as providing flexible spaces suited for the delivery of early childhood education and care. At the beginning of the 2024 school year, the existing kindergarten had 41 enrolments and a capacity for 60 enrolments, based on a two-session program with 30 children per session. The proposed works will provide a facility and supporting infrastructure that delivers an increased total capacity of 66 children over two 33-children sessions. The work will provide a new standalone preschool building; activity areas; administration and staff workspaces; storage areas; consultation spaces for visiting allied health professionals; amenities for staff, children and the community; outdoor learning areas; and car parking and dedicated pedestrian and vehicle access. In addition to the delivery of a new gymnasium at the Brahma Lodge Primary School, which has just commenced construction, the architectural form of the new building has been designed to provide a facility that is welcoming for the entire community. With a separate entrance to the facility located on Kent Avenue, the kindergarten will retain its own identity while still being an integral part of the school community. The external fabric of the structure will include compressed fibre cement cladding with aluminium-framed glass windows and doors. Designed around an architecturally featured raked ceiling above the main activity space, the building's interior design will create flexible and functional spaces with contemporary finishes, including the use of plasterboard and acoustic ceilings, carpet and vinyl flooring, and laminate joinery units, and will feature acoustic pinboards. The project has considered requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act with respect to making provisions for persons with disabilities and will be fully certified in accordance with legislative requirements. Landscaping of the outdoor environment has been designed by a consultant with expertise in outdoor play for early childhood and will provide aesthetically pleasing external spaces that are flexible to accommodate learning. This will include a sand pit, a swing, and water and nature play elements framed by lawn and low maintenance native planting. The new facility is estimated to cost $6 million, with the funds drawn from the department's 2023-24 capital works program. Any changes in the recurrent cost to the school's operating budget as a result of this redevelopment will be defunded from within the department's existing resources. All works will take place on the Brahma Lodge Primary School site, which has the title registered in the name of the Minister for Education. Beginning with the demolition of existing structures, construction of the new facilities are anticipated to commence in April this year, with the aim for works to be complete next January. The project will be managed and delivered by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) in accordance with the requirements of the project implementation process. DIT has appointed lead professional service and cost management contractors, and construction contractors will be appointed utilising an amended general conditions contract. Tenders will be sought from contractors registered in the applicable DIT Prequalification System category. Project delivery will follow the best practice principles for project procurement and management, as advocated by the state government and construction industry authorities. The project management process is responsible for identifying potential risks as well as implementing minimisation and mitigation strategies. The department states that the project has a low level of risk, noting the small scope of the project as well as the extensive expertise and experience of both DIT and the project team. The primary school will continue to operate throughout construction. The contractors' compound will clearly delineate school operations from the construction works. Any potential interruptions to school operations will be kept to a minimum, and the works programmed during school holidays as well as out of hours or over weekend periods. The design and development of the project has incorporated sustainability principles to reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the project. Taking a holistic approach to planning, design, costing, construction, maintenance and building management, these initiatives include: maximising energy efficiency through passive design features; selecting heating and cooling systems that employ energy recovery systems; utilisation of solar power; the maximisation of natural ventilation; minimisation of energy usage through the selection of efficient lighting; selecting efficient water fixtures and irrigation systems; maximising use of rainwater; and selecting durable, renewable and recyclable materials. The design also reduces the need for new building requirements by the re-use and redevelopment of existing built infrastructure, as well as considering non-built service delivery options. The Register of Aboriginal Sites and Objects has identified no entries for Aboriginal sites within the project area, and the department confirms native title has been extinguished on the site. The SA Heritage Places database discovered no local heritage places within the project's location. The management team is in ongoing consultation with stakeholders in the community. The school's leadership and staff have been closely involved throughout project development, and the department notes their endorsement of the redevelopment and scope of the works. Similarly, during concept planning stages the department states that care was taken to consult widely to ensure the needs of all stakeholders were considered, with the project documentation reviewed by relevant government personnel, departments and agencies. The committee examined written and oral evidence in relation to the Brahma Lodge kindergarten new facility. Witnesses who appeared for the committee were Helen Doyle, Director, Capital Projects and Technical Services, Department for Education, and Anthony Donato, Director, Anthony Donato Architects. I thank the witnesses for their time. Based upon the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public work. Motion carried.