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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-06-18 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: Woodville High School Redevelopment

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:32): I move:

That the 84th report of the committee for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, entitled Woodville High School Redevelopment Project, be noted.

Woodville High School is located on Actil Avenue, St Clair, within the City of Charles Sturt. The high school requires capital works to accommodate up to 1,300 students on the existing high school site. This includes catering for the transition of year 7 students to high school in 2022. It certainly was a pleasure to hear from witnesses in relation to this project and take the benefit of their knowledge and experience.

Woodville High School was allocated $10 million as part of the Department for Education's capital works program. The proposed redevelopment will include a combination of new works, the refurbishment of existing facilities and the demolition of ageing buildings on the existing school site. Specifically, the project scope includes:

the construction of a new building to accommodate food technology and vocational education and training. Kitchen and horticulture facilities will be provided as part of that construction program;

the construction of a new physical education building to accommodate general learning areas, teacher preparation areas, storage and change rooms;

the refurbishment of a vocational education and training centre kitchen to convert it to a general learning area;

the refurbishment of male student amenities to create new unisex and disability access compliant amenities;

the refurbishment of the visual arts facility to provide flexible learning spaces opening to an existing courtyard; and

external landscaping, redevelopment of the horticultural garden and new car parking.

As I mentioned, there is quite a substantial scope of works on the extant site.

Construction for the Woodville High School Redevelopment Project is expected to be complete by September 2021. In the course of its inquiry, the committee examined written and oral evidence in relation to this project and received assurances that the appropriate agency consultation in relation to this project had been undertaken. In consequence of that examination, the committee was satisfied the proposal had been subject to appropriate agency consultation and also meets the criteria for the examination of projects that, as you well know, Mr Speaker, are set out in the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991.

Having regard to 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 scope of works.

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (11:35): I rise to speak briefly to acknowledge the importance of Woodville High School. Although it is not in my electorate, it is not terribly far away. Given the specialisation that it offers in music, a number of students from my electorate attend the school on the basis of their talent in music. It is one of four music schools in the public system.

Incidentally, I recall that, as minister, probably in the final year before the election there was a magnificent concert that was held to celebrate 40 years of the four specialist music schools. Playford International, which is the school to be discussed next, I believe, Woodville, Brighton and Marryatville all came together to perform separately and combined in an extraordinary evening of talent. I believe that the Hon. Don Hopgood attended the event, having been involved in the decision to establish such a program 40 years ago.

Woodville High School is a school of extraordinary merit. It also has a high proportion of Aboriginal students, not simply Aboriginal students who are located in the Woodville area but also specifically children who come down from the APY lands and attend a program at Woodville High School. It is therefore one of those schools that caters to a range of specialisations and, at the same time, responds to the needs of all students, as is consistent with all public schools—the extraordinary balance between specialising to provide the stretch that is required and expected for students who are highly talented or highly specialised and the breadth to make sure that every single child, regardless of ability, is able to get a good and high-quality education that reflects who they are.

Woodville High School, in this case, is being discussed in the context of a development. I was pleased to hear some of the details of the development when the work went to the Public Works Committee. I must say that they will use that money that was allocated by the previous Labor government very sensibly in order to make Woodville continue to be a school of growth and of achievement. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to speak briefly in support of the public works project to acknowledge the excellence of that school.

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:38): I acknowledge, thank and appreciate very much the comments of the member for Port Adelaide in her contribution to the debate but equally her contribution to education over many years, including before, of course, she entered this place. I recommend the report to parliament.

Motion carried.

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