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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-27 Daily Xml
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BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION

Ms BREUER (Giles) (14:30): Can the Premier inform the house how South Australia is benefiting from the Building the Education Revolution component of the commonwealth government's economic stimulus package?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for her question. I think it is very appropriate that the member for Giles has asked this question, given her advocacy for schools in her electorate over many years.

From the outset, the South Australian government has fully supported the Australian government's efforts to mitigate the worst effects of the global financial crisis through the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan. The economic stimulus plan was a timely and targeted intervention at a time of enormous global economic uncertainty. Its rapid implementation by all levels of government has ensured that the Australian economy has been supported during a period of much diminished world growth and serious recessions in many of Australia's key trading partners.

It is interesting that those who attack the stimulus would be the ones now attacking the lack of a stimulus if it had not happened. The fact that Australia is coming through these difficult times better than anywhere else in the world, the fact that South Australia has been doing particularly well, I think, speaks for itself. In particular, the decision to direct some of the stimulus funding towards local smaller scale school infrastructure projects under the Building the Education Revolution program was critical to the construction sector both nationally and in South Australia. The building and construction industry is a prime driver of the economy and wealth of South Australia. It amounts to approximately 6 per cent of gross state product and is traditionally characterised by peaks and troughs in activity.

The school program consists of three initiatives: Primary Schools for the 21st Century; science language and learning centres; and National School Pride, which the Prime Minister told me was based on our School Pride initiative in South Australia.

The BER package, designed to fend off the worst of the global financial downturn on the Australian economy, has had a significant and positive impact in our state. I am advised that these programs will support an estimated 7,000 direct jobs over a year in South Australia. These are new jobs that are being created or jobs not lost during the global financial crisis.

Under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program alone, more than $1.37 billion of capital works is being rolled out across government and private schools. That is an enormous injection of money dedicated to improving our school infrastructure. In South Australia, 142 building contractors have been employed on government school projects alone so far, including in our regions. The majority of these contracts went to medium and small-sized businesses. There are also well over 300 subcontractors working with these building contractors.

This package is important to South Australia, and to that end the South Australian government has made a submission to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee inquiry into the program. Our submission outlines that, while South Australia's economy was in a strong position at the time the global financial crisis hit, by the March quarter of 2009 there was a noticeable downturn in most economic indicators.

With the introduction of the economic stimulus package, SA has experienced better-than-expected employment, spending and confidence statistics. However, there is still uncertainty about the future, and our submission makes it clear that this initiative must continue to be implemented and resourced as originally planned in order to support the construction industry and the broader economy.

Builders have made commitments to staff based on their expectations of the full three phases of the programs, and schools that are involved in the latter phases of the program should not be disadvantaged. We are strongly of the view that this is an outstanding initiative. It is not just about jobs but also about the future of our education system. It will provide benefits to students, teachers and schools for many years to come through the provision of social infrastructure that supports better learning outcomes.

Around 800 South Australian schools are receiving new infrastructure and facility upgrades as a result of the building education package, which includes new classrooms, libraries, gymnasia and halls. Along with the South Australian government's $323 million Education Works Stage 1, $82 million Education Works Stage 2 programs and $25 million South Australian School Pride program which has been running since 2004, this whole building program in our schools is the biggest improvement in school infrastructure that anyone can remember.

Our management of P21 and other BER programs at the state level has ensured this program is implemented efficiently and with the best possible outcomes for the economy and schools. I commend all those involved.

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