Warriappendi Secondary School

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Will the minister provide an update on the new home for Warriappendi Secondary School thanks to the largest infrastructure project in our state's history?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Autism) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for their question and interest in this project that will see students at Warriappendi making a fresh start on a new, bigger and better campus at Thebarton. As part of the $15.4 billion Torrens to Darlington project, this renowned school for Aboriginal students has moved from Marleston just down the road to Thebarton. Warriappendi's new home is one of the many additional benefits of the Torrens to Darlington project, South Australia's largest infrastructure investment.

As many in the chamber may be aware, the T2D will complete the 78-kilometre north-south corridor, delivering a nonstop South Road and allowing motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights. But its impact goes far beyond transport; it is delivering meaningful improvements to communities along the corridor.

A powerful example of this is the relocation of Warriappendi Secondary School, a unique and special school within our public education system that has enriched the lives of generations of young Aboriginal people. Established in 1983, the Warriappendi school had outgrown its former campus at Marleston, and now students and staff are embracing a new chapter in Thebarton in a more modern, purpose-built facility that reflects both the spirit of the school's past and its aspirations for the future.

The new campus accommodates up to 150 students and includes a yarning space, cultural learning areas, STEM laboratories, a commercial kitchen, a modern library and a dedicated space for wellbeing, drama, music and the arts. A new 900-square-metre gymnasium and an oval are now complete, and the students have proudly remarked that the new gym could fit the entirety of their old school inside it.

After having had no grass at their old school up until just last year, they now have an entire oval, open green space and even a playground to enjoy. Previously, the school's library was just a single wall lined with books; now, students have access to a purpose-built modern library that has transformed the learning environment.

The impact has been felt not only by students but also by teachers, who are seeing a real difference it makes every day for these students. Located beside the River Torrens, the school's design was shaped through the close consultation with the community. The cultural design elements of the Aboriginal employment outcomes are prioritised, and the pride and the positivity shown by students is testament to the success of this collaborative approach.

Given the hard work of the leadership of Craig Bailey; Josephine, a proud member of the governing council; and all governing council members at the school, we want to say thank you for your time, particularly the governing council, who do not need to do these roles. They do it as volunteers and have made a significant difference and left a legacy for many to follow. This is an exciting new chapter, one that I know will help not only the current students but future students as well.