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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-04-03 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: Virginia Primary School Redevelopment

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (11:38): I move:

That the 124th report of the committee, entitled Virginia Primary School Redevelopment, be noted.

Virginia Primary School is located on Park Road, Virginia, within the City of Playford. The school reflects its wider community, with a student body that contains a significant percentage of students from culturally and linguistically diverse families, representing 19 different cultural backgrounds. The Department for Education's Index of Educational Disadvantage assesses the school as category 5 within a scale where category 1 indicates the most socio-economically disadvantaged schools and category 7 the least.

The school's culture imbues high expectations of academic achievement and has embedded effective interventions for students requiring extra support academically, socially and emotionally. Special areas of learning include science, the arts, physical education and Vietnamese. As of mid last year, the school has 425 enrolments with a total capacity of approximately 450.

The proposed redevelopment by the Department for Education, hereon referred to as the department, will construct a new education facility that expands student capacity to a total of 700 students. The project will also demolish an existing building, taking care to remove asbestos in the process. The new facility will:

provide learning areas that support contemporary teaching and learning pedagogies;

provide a connected, multidisciplinary learning environment that engages all learners; and

develop creative, flexible spaces to enhance student engagement and allow collaborative teaching practices.

To meet these aims, the project will construct interdisciplinary learning spaces, a studio, workshops, teacher preparation areas, staff and student amenities, storage and outdoor learning areas. The facility will take the form of a single-storey building that considers shade, shelter, ventilation and natural vegetation. It will include visible and physical connection to learning areas, utilising glazed partitions and contemporary finishes. Each space will provide a welcoming palette and be adaptable to specific sensory needs. Landscaping will retain existing vegetation where possible and, to minimise water consumption, favour a selection of plant species that are indigenous and drought-tolerant. Construction is anticipated to commence in July this year, with the aim to be complete in December of 2026.

The project is expected to cost $15 million, and any change to recurrent costs of the school's operation as a result of the redevelopment will be funded from within the department's existing resources. No outstanding land purchase transactions or agreements beyond the formal construction contract are anticipated. An early site investigation, in conjunction with the Department for Environment and Water, has revealed the opportunity to build the facility on a pocket of previously cleared farmland. The new location will provide a more efficient building process, as well as allow for expansion in the future. The land contains rough scrub, but investigations confirm it is not naturally occurring vegetation.

The project will be delivered by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) in accordance with the requirements of the project implementation process. The lead professional service contractor and cost management contractor were appointed last year, and the department proposes construction contractors will be appointed utilising general conditions of contract, with tenders sought from contractors registered in the applicable DIT Prequalification System category.

The project will be delivered following best practice principles for project procurement and management, as advocated by the state government and construction industry authorities. Project management processes include:

evaluation and review of the brief;

preparation and review of the project program;

development of formal communication channels with stakeholders and end users;

establishing a cost plan and compliance;

scheduling regular audit reviews; and

identifying and managing potential risks.

The department states that an assessment indicates a medium range of risk. Mitigation measures include the extensive experience of the proposed project team members in delivering educational projects, as well as DIT's support providing full risk management services in project management design, cost, procurement and construction.

The project has incorporated a range of sustainability strategies within design development to reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives include:

passive design principles for solar, lighting, shade and ventilation;

high levels of insulation to optimise thermal performance;

air conditioning systems that incorporate heat recovery technology;

use of high-efficiency lighting systems with motion control sensors; and

photoelectric cells for daylight harvesting.

The design also considers water and waste efficiency initiatives, including the selection of efficient water fixtures, harvesting of rainwater and treatment for re-use, permeable paving to increase groundwater penetration, a comprehensive waste management plan and maximising the recycling and re-use of demolition materials.

The City of Playford falls within the Kaurna people's native title claim, but native title has been extinguished on the project site. A search of the central archive indicates there are no entries for Aboriginal sites within the search area. The SA Heritage Places Database confirms there are no state or local heritage places or items on the site.

The department is taking care during the concept planning stage to consult widely with stakeholders to ensure that their needs are met. The Virginia Primary School's principal, governing council, school staff and the education director have endorsed the redevelopment and scope of works outlined in the project. Throughout each stage of project development, the governing council and staff of the school have been closely involved and provided direct representation on the project's development. The submission has been reviewed by relevant government personnel, departments and agencies, which have provided input in the production of documentation for this project.

The committee examined written and oral evidence in relation to the Virginia Primary School redevelopment. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were Helen Doyle, Director, Capital Projects And Technical Services, Department for Education; John Collier, Assistant Director, Building Projects, Infrastructure Delivery, Department for Infrastructure and Transport; and Simon Thomson, Director, Thomson Rossi Architects. I thank the witnesses for their time.

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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