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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-04-11 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: The Heights Technical College

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:52): I move:

That the 60th report of the committee, entitled The Heights Technical College, be noted.

The Department for Education proposes to build a new technical college within the existing campus of The Heights School, on the corner of Brunel Drive and Ladywood Road in the City of Tea Tree Gully. The project forms part of this government's commitment to establish five technical colleges by 2026 and will provide a pipeline of skilled workers for entry level jobs in key industries with the greatest demand.

They are designed to modernise senior secondary school and deliver a practical-based learning program that includes technical, literacy and numeracy skills, in line with industry need. Each college will be tailored to the needs of its local industry, region and community to ensure meaningful pathways from education to work. Catering for students from years 10 to 12 in conjunction with nearby high schools, they will allow students to complete their SACE while obtaining trade qualifications.

This project will consist of a new two-storey building and new staff car park along Brunel Drive. The college will serve as a new hub within an existing and vibrant learning network that will enhance connections between students, industry and the local community. The building will have a highly flexible interior layout that combines authentic workplace environments and education-focused settings to produce graduates ready for the modern workforce, aided by staff embedded within the workshop environments.

The college will offer up to five industry-focused areas, and the industry training programs for each area will be designed with input from employer partners, industry and registered training organisations. Upon full-time enrolment, students will be provided with a transition plan and will transition to entry-level employment, apprenticeships or traineeships or other pathways to employment via further or higher education once they have completed the program and their SACE. The key aims of the building are to:

provide a contemporary, environmentally sustainable technical college that incorporates new technology to support vocational training;

create an adaptable, innovative learning environment that is responsive to future opportunities;

deliver a senior secondary program that develops technical and employability skills, including vocational qualifications, in a state-of-the-art facility; and

develop creative and flexible learning spaces that are specifically designed for workplace and industry environments.

The two-storey design of the college will feature a fully glazed lower level that encourages a strong visual connection to the workshop learning spaces, reinforcing the concept of having learning on display. A curated view of the learning areas, direct from the pedestrian footpath along Brunel Drive, will be offered by perforated metal cladding on the upper floor of the college's northern side, while the southern side will display uninterrupted views across the school oval to the Adelaide Hills and Flinders Ranges.

The building itself will have large common areas, as well as highly flexible and adaptable teaching spaces that are able to adapt to the ever-changing future industry requirements. The open plan nature of the modern workspaces encourages collaboration, meeting together and gathering.

Construction is proposed to be delivered in a single stage for the building and associated works and is scheduled to commence in June this year, with completion in August 2025. It is intended that The Heights Technical College will be operational for term 1 of 2026. Once opened, the technical college will cater for 200 full-time enrolments at any one time.

The Department for Education confirms that delivery of the project will follow best-practice principles for project procurement and management, as advocated by the state government and construction industry authorities. A project program will be prepared that reflects the scope and requirements, with progress regularly monitored and strategies developed to address any variances. The project will adhere to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and will be fully certified in accordance with legislative requirements.

A risk assessment has been carried out and determined there is a high range of risk. There is known contaminated fill existing on the site, which needs to be considered and appropriately addressed. Additionally, the project is of high value and budget, and appropriate cost oversight measures will be instituted. The department states that the Department for Infrastructure and Transport is providing full project risk management services throughout the project at its design, cost, procurement and construction stages.

Environmentally sustainable design principles have been adopted for this project, with a consultant engaged to ensure strong sustainable outcomes. These measures include an emphasis on natural ventilation, lighting design to ensure minimal energy consumption, materials for the building's facade that minimise heat loss and gain, the use of low-maintenance building materials, and drought-resistant plants in landscaping.

Furthermore, there is an overarching goal to incorporate the concept of the building as a learning tool, with opportunities for the occupants to learn about the building's design, functionality and energy use. This will be achieved by initiatives such as an interactive building maintenance system interface displaying sustainability metrics, prompted natural ventilation control and exposed surfaces where possible.

A search of the SA Heritage Places Database, through the Department for Environment and Water, confirms there are no state or local heritage places or contributory heritage items onsite. There are no entries for Aboriginal sites within the area as determined by the Central Archive, which includes a register of Aboriginal sites and objects. The commonwealth Native Title Act confirms that native title has been extinguished on this site.

The department affirms that the school's principal, governing council, school staff and education director have been kept informed of the development and associated scope of works. The department confirms that care has been taken to consult and inform on progress to ensure the needs of all stakeholders have been considered.

The committee has examined written and oral evidence in relation to The Heights Technical College project. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were: Helen Doyle, the Director of Capital Projects and Technical Services, Department for Education; John Harrison, the Director of Building Projects, Department for Infrastructure and Transport; and David Homburg, Director of Baukultur. I thank the witnesses for their time. I would also like to express my support for this project on behalf of my constituents in the electorate of Florey.

Based upon 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 public work.

Motion carried.

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