As part of the NSW Government's plan to rebuild public education, the NSW Budget is delivering record education funding, including $3.6 billion for new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney. This targeted investment will ensure growing communities get access to a world class public education.
The NSW Department of Education is committed to delivering new and upgraded schools for communities across NSW including the Richmond Agricultural Centre. Co-located at the Western Sydney University Hawkesbury campus, the Richmond Agricultural Centre will be used as a statewide resource delivering world-class agricultural and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
To ensure the safety, reliability and longevity of our schools, every school across NSW receives maintenance. The Department undertakes preventative and routine maintenance every year, and repairs as needed. The Department also reviews the planned maintenance program for each school every year and reviews those items that are predicted to require work to help prolong the life of the school buildings and facilities.
Demountables have been part of the NSW education system for many decades and will continue to be used across the state. Demountable classrooms are modern, air-conditioned rooms that provide students and teaching staff with excellent quality facilities. The learning spaces have the same range of technology that is available in permanent spaces.
We review school accommodation needs each year, looking at changing enrolment patterns and other factors to prepare for the upcoming school year. This helps to identify schools that need new demountables and schools where they can removed. Most demountable movement takes place between October and February and we report our annual demountable statistics each April. Additional demountable installations can occur outside this window to support capital works and maintenance projects in schools or emergency responses to natural disasters.