Maintenance blitz ready for NSW public schools
Release date: 19 August 2022
Schools across NSW will be enjoying hundreds of thousands of maintenance projects thanks to an additional $1.2 billion being invested by the NSW Government through the 2022/23 NSW Budget.
This program will priorities painting, fencing and gate repairs, floor renewal and window and door repairs as part of a $2.2 billion investment over the next four years.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said all public schools across NSW will benefit.
“I want every student, no matter where they live, to have safe and comfortable learning environments and I know this funding helps keep our schools at a world class level,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The Liberals and Nationals Government is committed to providing students with high quality learning facilities. We are delivering a record number of new and upgraded schools while maintaining our existing 2,200 schools across the state.
“These planned maintenance projects can be minor in nature but feedback from schools continues to highlight the difference a coat of paint or laying new carpet can have on student learning environments.”
As part of this investment, 50 additional Asset Service Officers will be recruited to help keep school grounds safe and well maintained – tasks which currently take up a great deal of principals’ time.
“I want our principals to be able to focus on their core roles. This investment will support efforts to remove administrative tasks from their workload.”
Planned maintenance is an annual program developed for every school in NSW. The program also uses the Local Trade Scheme, offering local tradies the opportunity to take on jobs valued up to $50,000.
The NSW Government is investing $8.6 billion in school infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 160 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This builds on the $9.1 billion invested in projects delivered since 2017, a program of $17.7 billion in public education infrastructure.
