No. 68

ACT PUBLIC EDUCATION RECEIVES BIG BOOST

The 2006-07 Budget provides a massive boost to the ACT’s public education system, with over $193 million in capital projects.

Reflecting the Stanhope Government’s Towards 2020: Renewing our Schools initiative, included in this funding boost is the allocation for the establishment of two new schools, a feasibility study for a new college and CIT campus and a massive injection for capital upgrades for existing school infrastructure.

“The Stanhope Government continues its commitment to providing high quality public education for ACT students with a record level of new funding in this year’s Budget,” Minister for Education and Training Andrew Barr said.

“This Budget contains the largest injection of capital funding in schools since self-government with $90 million being allocated over the next 4 years for school infrastructure upgrades, under the Government’s Towards 2020: Renewing our Schools initiative.

Capital initiatives in this Budget include:

•	$90 million for school infrastructure upgrades
•	$20 million for IT upgrades across all schools
•	$21 million for a new primary school in Gungahlin East 
•	$45 million for a new pre-school to year 10 school in West Belconnen 
•	$11.3 million for ongoing capital upgrades and $5.2 million for projects continuing from prior years
•	$1 million for a feasibility study into a college for Gungahlin 

In addition, new recurrent initiatives include:

•	$1.8 million for hosting the Pacific School Games
•	$3 million per annum for enhanced maintenance from 2008-09
•	$4 million over four years to assist parents, students and DET in transitional arrangements resulting from Towards 2020: Renewing our Schools
•	$150,000 for asbestos management 

“A child starting pre-school this year will be in our education system until 2020. The focus for the coming 12 months will be on renewing the Territory’s schools in an effort to continue to provide world-class education for those students now and into the future