Queensland’s future schools revealed Around a hundred new schools could be required to cater for Queensland’s student growth over the next twenty years. The Queensland Government today released the latest round of demand maps produced by the Queensland Schools Planning Commission identifying where future schools may be needed up to 2031. Premier Campbell Newman and Education, Training and Employment Minister John-Paul Langbroek announced the latest analysis and mapping of school infrastructure needs across the state’s top 30 development hotspots, covering more than 90 per cent of future student population growth. “My Government is determined to ensure Queensland students have the best start in life and this report will help us cater for the extra 257,000 school-aged children projected to be living in our great state by 2031,” Mr Newman said. “School infrastructure is a key part of the government’s strong plan for education in Queensland and by consulting extensively and planning methodically, we can be sure that our children will have a bright future.” Mr Newman said the Queensland Plan consultations revealed that Queenslanders want the right infrastructure delivered in the right place at the right time. “We’re listening to Queenslander’s and for the first time in our state’s history, we have a coordinated, cross-sectoral process to better plan school infrastructure,” he said. Mr Langbroek said in the latest analysis of 16 development hotspots, which complete the top 30, up to 33 new primary schools and up to 14 new secondary schools may be required in areas including Ormeau–Oxenford, Jimboomba, Mackay, Hervey Bay, Beaudesert, Cairns–South and Narangba–Burpengary in the period up to 2031. “Representatives of state and local governments, the state and non-state school sectors, planning agencies and parents have collaborated to complete detailed mapping of school infrastructure needs across Queensland and I’d like to commend them for their contribution,” he said. “I’d particularly like to thank Chair Bob Quinn and all Queensland Schools Planning Commission members for delivering their findings one year earlier than planned and with significant budget savings.” Mr Langbroek said The Queensland Schools Planning Commission had revealed a need for between 99 and 119 new schools across the state up to 2031, with up to 83 of these being primary and 36 secondary schools. He said the next step was to enact the plan to build some of these schools. “This Can-Do Government has a strong plan in place to be able to fund the schools Queensland needs in the future,” Mr Langbroek said. “Under our draft Strong Choices Investment Program, we’ve proposed to allocate $1 billion to the Future Schools Fund. “This represents a significant investment and will guarantee that future generations of students will be well looked after.” All reports, maps and data are available to the public via the Queensland School Planning Commission website at: education.qld.gov.au/schools/schools-planning-commission
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 07:23:02 +0000
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