Pat Farmer (Macarthur, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training) Share this | Hansard source

Just before I sum up on the Schools Assistance (Learning Together—Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2006 I would like to acknowledge the support that this bill has had from both sides of parliament, both from the opposition and, most importantly, from the government. It has been a very worthwhile project. We have heard many comments from a number of members, in particular the member for Jagajaga, the member for Prospect, the member for Rankin, the member for Gorton and the member for Ballarat from the opposition; and the member for McMillan, who gave us an excellent speech, the member for Canning, and of course the member for O’Connor earlier on. All of these members have spoken quite eloquently and quite personally on their reflections on this bill, the support that this bill has given to schools in their electorates, how it is furthering the education of all our children and how it will take that education on into the future and support them with facilities that are much needed.

We have heard from a number of speakers about a number of projects that have been launched through the Investing in Our Schools program and also through capital works funding. I have visited many schools during the last few years and have seen a number of schools in particular need of support through the Investing in Our Schools funding package. I went to see a school in the assistant Government Whip’s electorate of Gilmore. Every time it rained their toilets would flood. This was at a local primary public school. It is just simply not good enough. This is the whole reason why the federal government has introduced the Investing in Our Schools funding and why it is so important that we continue with worthwhile programs to support schools.

However, it is very important to note that public state schools are a state responsibility and the maintenance of those schools is a state responsibility. State governments have a very strong responsibility to support these children, the P&Cs, the parents involved with the schools, and of course the school teachers and the principals there at these schools. Because they are not doing that, the federal government has had to pick up the ball in order to try to support them in that responsibility. But it is very important that they accept their responsibilities. They are state schools—in most of the cases we are talking about state schools—and they are the states’ responsibility.

The member for Jagajaga supports the bill because she knows it is in the best interests of all Australian schools. The member for Jagajaga has mentioned that she acknowledges that the Investing in Our Schools program was very welcome, and of course it was very welcome. The Australian government knows only too well—and in particular my office and the department of DEST know only too well—that just in the latest round of applications we have received more than 10,440 projects requested by schools around the country for upgrades of various facilities needed at the schools.

It appals me to think that there are a number of schools out there that have actually had mushrooms growing in their carpets, that have toilet blocks that flood, that have school buildings that leak when it rains and that have paint peeling off the walls of their libraries and falling onto the books while our kids are trying to study in the school libraries. This is simply not acceptable, and a proper maintenance program by the states is certainly needed.

Once again, I would like to sincerely acknowledge the support from both sides of the House for this bill. It is important that we put our political persuasions aside and put our children first, and that is why this bill has been so well received by everybody in the House.

This bill amends the Schools Assistance (Learning Together—Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 to provide capital grant funding for state schools and non-government schools for 2009-11. The bill provides a record $33 billion in funding to all Australian schools in 2005-08. In 2006-07, nearly $9.3 billion will be provided to both state government and non-government schools, representing an increase in funding of $760 million, or 8.9 per cent, over the last year and an increase of 158 per cent in funding since 1996.

Funding under the act includes $2.7 billion for school capital works in 2005-08, which reflects a significant investment in improving the capital infrastructure of all schools. This is an increase of $1.4 billion over the 2001-04 quadrennium. An estimated $1.7 billion will be provided under the capital grants program to state schools and non-government schools in 2005-08. This program provides funding to assist with the building, maintenance and upgrading of schools throughout Australia. Australian government funded projects typically include the construction of new schools, additional classrooms, libraries and other vital school facilities to improve educational opportunities. The state government schools will receive an estimated $1.2 billion in 2005-08 from the Australian government under the capital grants program. An estimated $489 million will be provided for Catholic and independent schools over the same period.

In addition to the capital grants program, the $1 billion Investing in Our Schools program is providing funding directly to schools for smaller projects that improve the infrastructure of the school by helping to repair, replace or install items critical to a school’s needs, as identified by the school’s community. This is done at a grassroots level with the P&C, the school principal and the school community advising the government on projects that are dear to them and needed by them. This program allows for the identification and delivery of high-priority projects that are not able to be funded under the existing capital grants program.

Like previous bills, this bill makes specific provision for capital funding allocations beyond the normal four years of the funding quadrennium. This is due to the size and complexity of school capital projects, which often require a long lead time for planning, assessment and construction and are regularly funded across several years. Anyone who has ever had anything to do with any building project knows that it takes quite some time to go from the drawing stage through to the final building stage. That is why this bill is so important.

Schedules 3 and 5 of the act currently set out the funding for the capital grants program for state government schools and non-government schools respectively for the period 2005-08. These schedules also include a specific note stating that funding allocations for later years will be added by an amending act. This bill amends schedules 3 and 5 of the act to insert maximum capital grant funding amounts for state government schools and for block grant authorities for non-government schools for the calendar years of 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Funding amounts for the program years beyond 2008 are required because capital grants are approved up to three years in advance of the current calendar year. In 2006, a capital project may be approved involving funding for programs through to 2009. By a longstanding arrangement, the state education departments and non-government block grant authorities which administer the program are able to recommend funding allocations for projects up to three years in advance of the current calendar year. This enables funding for major projects which require long lead times to be secured at an early stage and payments for large projects to be staged over a number of years.

This bill is about giving stability in Australian government funding to educating authorities and schools as they undertake planning and construction of major projects designed to provide essential educational opportunities for all of our students Australia-wide. Funding arrangements between the private and the public sector have been mentioned by a number of people. I want to make one final point as I wrap up this bill: government schools receive more than 70 per cent of the available funding through the Investing in Our Schools program and capital works funding that is available for the building of schools, for libraries and other buildings. So it is for this reason that I commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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