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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-04 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: VICTOR HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (11:37): I move:

That the 310th report of the committee, entitled Victor Harbor High School, be noted.

The redevelopment of Victor Harbor High School is estimated to cost $5.99 million and, when completed, will accommodate a maximum of 800 secondary students. It includes a new resource centre, administration, art and classroom accommodation, demolition of five timber transportable buildings and site, civil and landscaping works.

The project aims to provide modern, efficient and functional areas for the delivery of education to the community of Victor Harbor. The key drivers are to provide new senior school accommodation including new arts facilities, classroom and resource centre, consolidate the administrative and staffroom functions on site, improve the accommodation for the school and avoid the continuing and escalating high cost of maintenance of aged timber buildings.

The design solution will construct a new administration and staffroom resource centre, four art spaces and five general classrooms into a central location, remove five timber transportable buildings constructed in the mid-1960s, make a pool of seven single metal classroom buildings with floor area totalling 520 square metres available for relocation to other DECS sites, provide an internal school environment that meets all current regulatory standards and encourages best practice education facilities, provide passive design principles to reduce reliance on energy including the indirect natural lighting of spaces via highlight windows, ventilation via windows and the use of energy efficient mechanical plant. Rainwater will also be collected for reuse in irrigation and toilets.

Physical and visual links will be constructed between the facility and the existing school to encourage integration of students within the school environment. Temporary fencing will be erected to define the contractors' compound and deny access by both students and staff during the course of construction works. However, there will be times when a crossover of contractor/staff and students will occur, and appropriate management procedures will be put in place to suit those requirements.

There will not be a requirement to provide temporary classroom accommodation during the works as this accommodation is currently available on site. With these plans in place, it is not anticipated that there will be a significant impact on the school's teaching delivery during the project works. Three options were considered in the development of this project. Doing nothing was discounted primarily due to the immediate need to undertake replacement of a number of timber transportable core buildings in order to maintain essential services and sustain current and future service delivery levels. Delaying the redevelopment would significantly increase the future overall capital costs associated with the redevelopment of core services and would result in significant additional costs due to anticipated price escalation and associated fee and cost increases.

Building a new school is the most costly option, and it was discounted as some existing buildings are reasonably new, solidly constructed, in good condition and are able to be redeveloped cost effectively. The preferred option avoids the disadvantages of the others and will provide a new building to accommodate the administration, resource centre, art and general learning areas for students.

The project will provide modern education accommodation, meet legislative compliance requirements, and deliver DECS benchmark accommodation for the students. In particular, it will allow students to experience accommodation specifically designed to support contemporary teaching methodologies, the amenity of the site will be improved for the wider community, and the presentation of the site will be aesthetically improved.

Construction was expected to commence in January 2009 and be completed by December 2009. Given the evidence that it has 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 works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:41): I can hardly believe that we have reached this stage. A little bit of history, as far as this project goes, will bear out the fact that both the high school and the TAFE for Victor Harbor were approved in the Liberal budget in 2001. They were immediately shelved by the incoming Rann government and have been put on the backburner for some eight years, which is an absolutely outrageous act of treachery by Premier Rann and his government.

They have treated the South Coast with contempt, they have treated the citizens of Victor Harbor with contempt, and they have treated the children and staff of the education system with contempt. But, we finally see today that this project has been approved; and, indeed, I was very happy to approve it.

As the member for Norwood indicated, there will be approximately 800 students at Victor Harbor High School in due course. Let me also point out that Victor Harbor High School services the entire South Coast. Students come from north of Goolwa in the Currency Creek area right through the surrounding region on the Fleurieu Peninsula to Victor Harbor High School. There is no other public high school for some distance unless one goes to Willunga. Indeed, there is an area school at Yankalilla for students up to year 12 and there are two private schools in the Victor Harbor area, but the high school campus for Investigator College is at Goolwa. Therefore, there is a considerable number of young people who need to attend Victor Harbor High School, and they will have their studies greatly enhanced by the redevelopment and the resource, art and admin centres that have been put in place.

Some of the existing buildings are archaic. As the member for Norwood pointed out, they were built in 1960, and I think that was the last time they had anything done to them. I have had regular meetings with the Chair of the Governing Council of Victor Harbor High School, Mr Andrew McKenzie, and his council. He has expressed frustration over a long period of time. The Labor Party has absolutely dudded the South Coast; it has just forgotten about it. I have found it necessary to harp on about the TAFE and these projects, such as the high school, since I have been the local member as did, indeed, my predecessor, the Hon. Dean Brown.

I am very pleased that, Mr Peter Crawford, the Principal of Victor Harbor High School, appeared at the Public Works hearing in the company of Mr McKenzie to talk about this project. One issue that arose was 'Premier Windmill's' windmills. We are not having windmills on the grounds of Victor Harbor High School because they just could not be afforded; they were only a bit of a plaything, anyway. The fact of the matter is, again, that this is a vital piece of infrastructure. Along with health services and the education system across the South Coast, this high school will serve Victor Harbor into the future.

Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the progress of the TAFE college at this stage. We have not had the plans in front of us as yet—I am waiting to see what it will become—but we will. It was also through the foresight of my predecessor that we are developing an education hub around the high school site, with a TAFE college and various other things alongside it in the future.

I cannot wait to see this open. Once again, I say that I am disgusted with the Labor Party and Premier Rann and his outfit over the fact that it has been put off for eight years, but now, lo and behold, it is going to be open at the end of this year or in early 2010. We all know that we have an election next year. We will probably have the TAFE opening at the same time, it will be rahdy-rahdy-rah and we will have them all down there saying wonderful things.

I will not hesitate to remind them of what they have done over the past eight years or, more to the point, of what they have not done, in providing these facilities earlier. I think it is disgusting and disgraceful. I know that The Times newspaper of Victor Harbor has had a fair old slap at it over the years as well. It is simply not good enough.

It is a rapidly developing area, with a population of some 14,000 in Victor Harbor alone. We have students down there with special needs, as well as everywhere else. We have students who want to go on to tertiary education and university education. We need these things to be put in place. I was speaking briefly with the member for Fisher before, who I am sure will have a few words to say on this project. He was the appropriate minister back in 2001—

The Hon. R.B. Such: From 1993 to 1996.

Mr PENGILLY: Yes, 1993 to 1996—thank you, member for Fisher. He actively supported these projects at the time, but the incoming Labor Party government dudded everything and left us like a shag on a rock over these projects.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this. I will be following the project closely, monitoring how it goes and keeping in touch with the appropriate authorities down there. As I said earlier, I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition, but I can tell you that we need a few other things fairly urgently as well.

The government will be regularly reminded by me of the needs of the people of the Fleurieu Peninsula, especially the young people who need first-class educational facilities. They should not have to come over the hill to do their TAFE courses, they should be able to do them down there. They should not have to travel to Willunga if they cannot do courses at Victor Harbor High School, which is a terrific school.

The Victor Harbor High School band is absolutely sensational. If anyone ever gets the opportunity to listen to them, please do so. They are fantastic and just take your breath away. The member for Giles was speaking about the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra; I can tell you that relative to that orchestra they are outstanding. I finalise my remarks by saying that I cannot wait to see this thing up and running.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (11:48): I welcome this project. It has been a bit like an elephant's pregnancy: it has gone on for a long time. I do not want to fall into the trap of the Hon. Robert Brokenshire and say, 'When I was a minister', as it gets a bit tedious, but I remember speaking about this 13 years ago and promoting it in conjunction with an upgraded TAFE. I am delighted that something is happening in relation to the school, but I am not so sure that the vision of the TAFE being a fantastically expanded and upgraded facility is going to be realised.

I hope that I am wrong on that point, because it was one of the matters that I was passionate about. Fortunately, TAFE (which means the Crown) still owns a huge parcel of land as you enter Victor Harbor on the right-hand side near McCracken Estate. Years ago some bureaucrats and others wanted to sell it off, but that was strongly resisted, so it is still there. That money should be going towards the upgrade of the TAFE facility in conjunction with the high school. The high school is in need of upgrading, and this redevelopment will certainly help in that regard.

Victor Harbor, as we all know, is a growing area. My concern is that, whilst growth can be good, I hope that in the process we do not see the destruction of what is a gem of a place and a beautiful environment. With a growing population, and a young population, as well as, obviously, a lot of retirees, you need to have adequate educational facilities, so I welcome this upgrade.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (11:50): I would like to make a brief contribution in relation to the motion of the Presiding Member of the Public Works Committee in relation to the report on the redevelopment of the Victor Harbor High School and, obviously, I support the remarks made by the member for Finniss. The high school at Victor Harbor, as the member for Finniss stated, obviously caters for the educational needs of a very large district in that part of South Australia. Throughout the Southern Fleurieu area it provides the vitally essential requirements for the educational needs of our children in that part of the district.

However, this goes to perhaps some broader issues in relation to educational facilities and the need for their continual upgrade in South Australia, and I want to highlight a couple of matters that relate specifically to my electorate in relation to educational facilities. I am pleased to—

Ms CICCARELLO: Mr Speaker, I have a point of order.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Look, Vini, what are you trying to do—stifle debate, or something?

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Kavel will take his seat. The member for Norwood.

Ms CICCARELLO: The member for Kavel's talking about schools in his electorate has nothing to do with the Victor Harbor High School redevelopment.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to what the member for Kavel has to say. Normally in the course of speeches we give some latitude to members, but I will listen to what the member for Kavel has to say and I will pull him up if I think he is straying too far. The member for Kavel.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I am surprised at the attitude of the member for Norwood and her wont to stifle debate in relation to these very important issues that come before the house. I note that she raised a point of order during a speech I made yesterday in relation to planning and development and, again, she raises a point of order about my making a contribution concerning the Public Works Committee in relation to the very important issue of the educational needs and facilities of our children in South Australia. So, it comes as a surprise to me that the member for Norwood wishes to stifle debate in the parliament—the place where democratic free speech should be at the forefront of what we deal with here in the state. The member for Norwood wants to stifle debate on important issues such as this. So I will continue my remarks.

This particular issue concerning the Woodside Primary School did come before the Public Works Committee so, if the member for Norwood was not so hasty in raising points of order and sat in her place and listened, she might realise that what I am going to say does relate to issues that have come before the Public Works Committee, and I want to highlight those issues. The redevelopment of the Woodside Primary School did come before the Public Works Committee, and I recall the member for Finniss speaking to me in relation to that matter.

I am pleased that this government—I am actually saying something positive about the government, Vini, so if you want to raise a point of order I will continue my comments on how badly the government did in relation to the redevelopment of the Victor Harbor High School, which is the point the member for Finniss raised. So, if you want me to go down that track, I am more than happy to do so. But I am saying that I am pleased the government saw the need for the redevelopment of the Woodside Primary School—that project came before the Public Works Committee—and we have seen a new school built at the existing site at Woodside. I have had the pleasure to tour the facilities. The principal, the children and the parents—the whole school community—are very pleased that the new school was built, notwithstanding the fact that the then federal Liberal government put a significant amount of funds into that project.

I highlighted the need for considerable work to be done at that site not very long after I first came into this place. There were a couple of buildings where the window frames had rotted away to the extent where you could put your arm through a hole in the window frame. So, the site was in significant need of renovation and redevelopment.

I would also like to raise the issue of the recent redevelopment at Birdwood High School. I am pleased the government saw fit to inject some funds into that redevelopment. The member for Schubert actively and in a very positive manner represents that township. I am fortunate that Birdwood will return to my electorate at the next election and, if I am successfully re-elected, I will look forward to again representing that township and also the needs of the Birdwood High School committee.

I was pleased to help with the strategy of that school community in lobbying the government for the funding of that redevelopment project. Stage 1 of the redevelopment has gone through. We are reaching the point where funding for stage 2 is to be requested of the Minister for Education, and I look forward to being part of the group that urges the government to provide that funding. I raised an issue yesterday concerning Mount Barker Primary School—

The SPEAKER: Order! I am prepared to give the member for Kavel some latitude. However—

Ms Ciccarello: Too much!

The SPEAKER: Order! However, he does need to speak to the report. I admit that I have not read the report, but from its title it does seem to deal with the Victor Harbor High School. I direct the member for Kavel to address his remarks to the report. I am reluctant to be too strict with respect to what members say in their speeches, because sometimes something that may not appear to be relevant to me may, in fact, have some relevance. Nonetheless, this is not an opportunity to make what is essentially a grievance. The member for Kavel needs to direct his remarks to the report.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I always appreciate your direction in relation to issues here in the house. This goes to the point of making a comparison between the government's funding the Victor Harbor High School redevelopment and also funding other projects for redevelopment at various school sites around the state. I am merely raising these issues to make comparisons in how the government performs with respect to one of the most important aspects of its responsibilities in providing satisfactory resources and services here in the state.

The member for Schubert is prompting me, but he is making some quite relevant points because, as a member of parliament representing a local constituency, I take my responsibility seriously to highlight the needs of the state as a whole in relation to educational services.

As the member for Finniss pointed out in his contribution, this has been a long time coming. It has taken many years to reach the stage where the redevelopment of the Victor Harbor High School has come to fruition. I am advised that 800 students attend that school, which is obviously meeting the educational needs of the teenage people living in that district. If there are 800 students, arguably that could mean up to 800 families, and that is a significant part of that southern Fleurieu region's population. Although it does distress me somewhat that the member for Norwood raises these frivolous points of order, it is up to her to make a decision on those matters. I am pleased to contribute and speak in support of the motion to adopt this report.

Motion carried.

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