More than 40 north coast schools need more than $16 million for repairs according to NSW Education Department documents released by NSW Labor today.
The documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal the individual maintenance backlogs for 2,173 primary and high schools across the state – as at 30 June 2015.
Three north coast schools are at the top of the list.
They are Southern Cross school in East Ballina, which needs $1.66 million in repairs; Grafton High School needs more than $1.12 million in repairs and Murwillumbah High School needs $998,257 in works.
Opposition leader Luke Foley and shadow minister for the north coast Walt Secord slammed the figures, which show a maintenance backlog across the state of $732 million.
‘Schools across the state are crumbling under the Nationals,’ Mr Foley said.
‘The maintenance backlog is spiraling out control. North Coast schools are being neglected while the government brawls with itself over how to spend billions on sporting stadiums in Sydney. Local schools need to be properly maintained to ensure the best environment for learning.’
Mr Secord said the schools needed an urgent cash injection.
‘If the schools are unsuitable and unsafe, teachers cannot teach and kids cannot learn,’ he said.
‘The government isn’t keeping up with the repairs bill and the reality is many local schools will never be up to scratch under the Nationals. It’s yet another example of the Nationals taking the north coast for granted.’
Labor’s list of backlog claims
Southern Cross School | $1,662,784 |
Grafton High School | 1,125,892 |
Murwillumbah High School | 998,257 |
Kingscliff High School | 906,140 |
Kingscliff High School | 906,140 |
Evans River Community School | 594,604 |
Maclean High School | 587,060 |
Ballina Public School | 553,840 |
Mullumbimby Public School | 540,367 |
South Grafton High School | 511,314 |
Casino High School | 466,587 |
Tweed River High School | 421,443 |
Lismore High School | 393,445 |
Ballina High School | 377,048 |
Bilambil Public School | 375,523 |
Lismore Public School | 366,890 |
Nimbin Central School | 332,315 |
Ocean Shores Public School | 330,677 |
South Grafton Public School | 321,652 |
Maclean Public School | 268,138 |
Alstonville High School | 262,098 |
Byron Bay Public School | 261,239 |
Terranora Public School | 249,962 |
Casino West Public School | 245,747 |
Lismore Heights Public School | 238,562 |
Pottsville Beach Public School | 233,773 |
Lismore South Public School | 227,295 |
Murwillumbah Public School | 225,377 |
Brunswick Heads Public School | 213,575 |
Murwillumbah East Public School | 199,949 |
Mullumbimby High School | 196,214 |
Banora Point High School | 190,572 |
Kingscliff Public School | 190,002 |
Kingscliff Public School | 190,002 |
Grafton Public School | 187,609 |
Tweed Heads Public School | 183,725 |
Lennox Head Public School | 137,511 |
Tweed Heads South Public School | 131,077 |
Albert Park Public School | 119,537 |
Broadwater Public School | 112,957 |
Woodburn Public School | 103,847 |
Stokers Siding Public School | 89,817 |
Murwillumbah South Infants School | 64,813 |
Bogangar Public School | 62,338 |
Total Backlog | $16,357,714 |
Was Bairds announcement last week a joke? The state government is earmarking 1.6 billion dollars(that is billion) for improvements on three Sydney sport stadiums. Unbelievable,