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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-10-15 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: Banksia Park International High School Redevelopment

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:53): I move:

That the 73rd report of the committee for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, entitled Banksia Park International High School Redevelopment Project, be noted.

As you are aware, Mr Speaker, Banksia Park International High School is located in the District Council of Tea Tree Gully and is one of five entrepreneurial specialist schools in the state. The high school was allocated funding of $9 million as part of the Department for Education's capital works program. Banksia Park International High School requires increased accommodation capacity to cater for the transition of year 7 students to high school in 2022. There is also ageing accommodation at the school site requiring replacement with newer facilities that better suit the needs of the school.

The proposed redevelopment will include the construction of a new performing arts and home economics building, as well as the construction of new covered outdoor learning areas. The project will include the refurbishment of existing buildings, which will provide additional general learning areas. The proposed works will also include the demolition of two buildings on the school site and ancillary and necessary landscaping works. When complete, the Banksia Park International High School project will deliver a total school enrolment capacity of 1,200 places by 2022. The redevelopment project will be staged, and construction is expected to be complete in August 2021.

The committee examined written evidence in relation to the project, which advised that the appropriate consultation in relation to the scope of works had been undertaken. The committee is satisfied that the proposal has been subject to the appropriate agency consultation and meets the criteria for the examination of projects described in the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991.

Based on the evidence considered, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the committee reports to parliament that it recommends the scope of the proposed public works that I have described.

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (11:55): It is with great pleasure that I speak on this report on the redevelopment of Banksia Park International High School, a $9 million project funded by the Marshall Liberal government, part of the billion dollar infrastructure spend right across education facilities in South Australia, which will not only help to deliver world-class education facilities but also create jobs, and in the case of this project, creating around 22 jobs.

This project will do a number of things, including the construction of a new performing arts and home economics building, as well as the construction of some new covered outdoor learning areas. There will be the refurbishment of existing buildings to provide some additional general learning areas, as well as the demolition of two existing buildings on the site and some landscaping works.

It is also worth noting that there will be some air-conditioning upgrades at the school. It has been an issue that has been raised with me quite a number of times early on when I came along as the local member. This will not only provide some new and improved facilities but also increase the capacity of the school which, in a couple of years' time, expects to have about 1,200 students, including additional year 7 students.

This is an exciting project for Banksia Park International High School, which is a wonderful school within my electorate. In particular, I would really like to thank Roley Coulter, the principal of the school, for his excellent leadership, as well as the wonderful staff they have through the school.

This school really has a very large focus on creating global citizens, and its efforts in not only teaching students to take a world view and look at problems from across the world but also developing students to take advantage of new opportunities in the world has made it successful in being one of the five entrepreneurial specialists schools in South Australia, which is part of the Marshall Liberal government's Entrepreneurial Specialist Schools program which aims for students to be able to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, including setting up new businesses and solving problems.

As the local member, I have had the great fortune to be able to attend some of these events where students have identified a problem, they have come up with a solution and they have worked out how to package it, how to brand it and how to sell that solution. It really is a very impressive standard and something that I think the school should be very proud of.

In particular, I would like to commend the assistant principal, Mr Ceri Jones, who is responsible for the entrepreneurial specialist program at that school. Along the lines of successful students coming out of the that school, I would just like to highlight two. Particularly noteworthy is police commissioner Grant Stevens, who is a former student of Banksia Park International High School, and also Tony Clark, who is the managing director of Rising Sun Pictures and who has worked on such movies as The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter movies, Batman Begins, Blood Diamond and many others.

Banksia Park International High School is a wonderful school. I am thrilled to see that it is going to get $9 million in redevelopment. That work is underway right now, and I cannot wait to see it completed.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (11:58): I will be extremely brief, given the limited time, but I just want to place on the record the government's excitement and enthusiasm for the $9 million redevelopment we are funding at Banksia Park International High School.

When I visited the school with the member for Newland, the enthusiasm from the students and the staff at the school about seeing the outstanding plans that have been designed for the school was palpable. We were talking to year 9 students who are actually going to experience this new development at the beginning of 2022. I commend the project, I commend Roley Coulter and his staff and the governing council for their work, and I cannot wait to see the finished design. I thank the member for Newland for highlighting all the other matters that I would have otherwise raised.

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:59): I want to acknowledge the contribution of the minister and the member for Newland. The member for Newland, as is well known in this place, is a highly effective, passionate and determined advocate.

The SPEAKER: Does the member wish to seek leave or put the question?

Mr CREGAN: In just a moment, I will put the question. I am very appreciative of his contribution. He has seen through a very significant project, works to approval, and he should be very proud of his effort in that regard.

Motion carried.

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