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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-22 Daily Xml
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Public Education Facilities

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:40): The Marshall Liberal government is investing significant funds in lifting public education facilities across South Australia, and I was very keen to see that Jordan Dodd, the Liberal candidate for Badcoe, has been out and about in her community. I know that in that community people have expressed great appreciation for some of the things the government has done over and above any government previously to support schools and preschools in her electorate of Badcoe.

Indeed, last year in the budget this government put in place not just one but two rounds of stimulus grants for every single preschool in South Australia's government education system. That means that the Forbes Children's Centre, the Glandore Community Kindergarten, the Kurralta Park Community Kindergarten, the Netley Kindergarten and the Plympton South Kindergarten have all received, first, a grant of $20,000 and then a further grant of $30,000.

That will enable those outstanding early education sites to undertake important maintenance works, whether that be in relation to landscaping, as has been the case at the Forbes Children's Centre and Netley Kindergarten; new playgrounds or improved nature play areas, as Netley has also done; whether it is in relation to outdoor shade structures, as have been put in place at Kurralta Park; or whether it is in relation to painting jobs, kitchen renovations or roofing—whatever the tasks may need to be. Some of them have been in relation to replacing floor coverings at some preschools and children's centres I have been to, and $50,000 is a significant boost to any preschool budget.

As I have been going around South Australia, I have been really encouraged by the warm reception I have received from early childhood educators, who have really appreciated what this has done. It has also meant jobs for local tradies and small businesses in communities right around South Australia. Tradies and small businesses in Badcoe and other regions in metropolitan and regional South Australia have benefited from some of this work.

Those grants did not just go to our preschools. They also went to every public school in South Australia at a rate between $20,000 and $100,000, depending on the circumstances of the school—whether they are undergoing capital works right now or in recent times for primary schools.

In Badcoe as well, the grants of between $20,000 and $100,000 have enabled the replacement of flooring, toilet upgrades, a range of shade structures, storage replacements, new playgrounds and the like across schools such as Richmond Primary School, Plympton Primary School, Forbes Primary School, Black Forest Primary School and, on the edge of the electorate, the Plympton International College and the Errington Special Education Centre.

It is also worth noting the fantastic work being done at Plympton International College, following on from some other important works recently: the $3 million capital works project, which has been underway for a couple of years and is now complete. That is going to be an outstanding facility that will support that school going forward. There has been a significant growth in the number of students, and the confidence that the community has in supporting the work at Plympton International College has grown significantly in recent years to the point where it is now a school of choice for many families.

I note that the member for Badcoe was among those Labor members who were willing to talk down the offering at Plympton International College when there was some rezoning underway in 2019, and I hope that she has reflected on that in the years since. The important thing is that every public school in South Australia is doing a tremendous job, and there are many people who are working so hard to do work for our students and children across public education.

I have had conversations with people who have chosen Plympton International College. I know one family who moved into the area because they were so keen for their child to have access to the Chinese bilingual program, a world-class program. They moved into that zone, and they are so pleased with the decisions this government has made to ensure that that was more feasible than it was before.

Jordan Dodd has done great work in terms of advocating for these schools and also the Black Forest Primary School, which is in round 3 of the capital works program. That $5 million program will be rolled out very soon.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Badcoe!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The Marshall Liberal government has dramatically increased capital works funding for our public education system over the last three years. The Labor Party often talks about their $600-something million program; we have a $1.4 billion program of works—five new schools, more than a hundred projects—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —and indeed 18 of those projects are now completed, including the Plympton International College, serving constituents in the south-west of Adelaide, including in the electorate of Badcoe. I congratulate Jordan Dodd on her strong work and advocacy on behalf of all of these sites.

Mr BROWN: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.

A quorum having been formed:

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