New primary school ready for the future

Cairns Adventist College’s new $3.4 million education facility in Gordonvale will ensure the school is well positioned for future growth, Education Minister Kate Jones said today.

Minister Jones said the primary college was officially opened today on a new 10.5 hectare site.

"It’s an exciting day when a community celebrates the opening of a new school,” Ms Jones said.

“While the school doors opened in October 2014 this event today provides an opportunity to celebrate the work and commitment of everyone who helped make this development possible.

“The school has moved from a 0.4 hectare site in Manunda, Cairns, to a much more substantial and spacious site in Gordonvale – 21 kilometres south of Cairns – to enable the school to grow and provide better opportunities for its students.

“The larger area will one day allow the school to grow to become a Prep to Year 12 school plus add an Early Learning Centre.”

Ms Jones said the State Government, Federal Government and Adventist Education jointly funded the relocation and redevelopment of Cairns Adventist College.

Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt – who represented the Education Minister at the school’s official opening – congratulated and thanked Adventist Education for working in partnership with the State Government to relocate and rebuild Cairns Adventist College.

“The Prep to Year 6 school, which caters mostly for students from the southern suburbs of Cairns, now has all the teaching buildings it needs to offer first-class education opportunities for its 80 students, as well as a full-sized playing field and multipurpose court,” Mr Pitt said.

The college is part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Education network, the largest Protestant Christian school system in the world, with almost 8,000 schools, colleges and universities supported by 69,000 teachers caring for the needs of more than 1.6 million students.

Cairns Adventist College Principal Clinton Bond thanked the State Government for its significant contribution to the project.

“The State Government’s contribution towards construction, plus their ongoing funding for the everyday running of our school, shows their support for solid education outcomes for our students and our community,” Mr Bond said.

For further information: http://www.cas.qld.edu.au/

Media contact: Matt Jutsum (Education Minister’s Office) 3719 7530