School repair costs hit $4m

Almost $4 million is needed to repair WA public schools in the Bunbury and Collie-Preston electorates as teachers face increasingly crowded classrooms and out-of-date equipment, a State Government audit has revealed.

The Department of Finances Building Management and Works audit, which is conducted every three years, showed repairs needed at 13 schools in the two electorates had increased since 2010, including by more than $100,000 at Capel Primary School.

Collie Senior High School was identified as one of the most run-down schools in the State, in need of more than $800,000 worth of maintenance.

Education Department executive director of infrastructure John Fischer said the total backlog of maintenance in the Bunbury and Collie-Preston electorates had reduced by more than $2m since the 2010 audit.

He also said the number of high priority works — needed for potential risks to health and safety — had fallen by more than $1.3 million in these electorates.

“Like any property owner, there is always something that needs to be done,” he said.

Education Minister Peter Collier said more than $3.18 million had been spent on maintenance and repairs in Bunbury and Collie-Preston schools since the 2013 report and some of the jobs identified had already been fixed.

According to the report, Newton Moore Senior High School, which will lose more than $1.2 million worth of funding under the Education Department’s new student-centred funding model, needed more than $400,000 maintenance.

State School Teachers Union president Pat Byrne said the union had received reports of uneven and broken surfaces at many schools that had resulted in student injuries and millions of dollars’ paid for workers compensation.

She said the union was concerned about teacher and student welfare because of the maintenance needed and increasing class sizes.

“The backlog is unacceptable — the amount available covers essential repairs or breakdowns but is not enough for routine maintenance, ” she said.

“Class sizes under the new model will be pushed to maxima. Design and Technology class sizes in some schools will be increased to a point where teachers feel it will be unsafe.”

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