Budget delivers maintenance funding for Queensland schools

The Palaszczuk Government will boost school maintenance funding by $300 million, bringing the total investment to $763 million over the next four years.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the funds were part of a record $12.4 billion investment in the education and training sector announced in Tuesday’s budget.

“This is a major investment in our schools that delivers on our commitment to ensure every child, regardless of where they live, has access to quality education facilities,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“It will also address the historical underfunding of school maintenance, as identified by the Auditor-General in the Maintenance of public schools report earlier this year.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the maintenance funding would begin in 2015-16 with $178 million to be spent on schools across Queensland.

“The four year investment represents a $300 million increase for school maintenance funding,” he said.

“That’s in addition to $456 million for capital works for 2015-16 for schools, early childhood education and care centres,” he said.

Education Minister Kate Jones said the boost would be accompanied by a new asset life cycle strategy to drive maintenance dollars further.

“Asset life cycle maintenance will prolong the life of school assets, reduce overall maintenance costs and help to ensure taxpayers’ dollars go even further,” she said.

Ms Jones said the 2015-16 maintenance funding included a one-off $10 million investment in structural and access improvements to state special education facilities.

“We have also allocated $4 million to improve the tuckshops and amenities at schools in Queensland’s Indigenous communities,” she said.

Ms Jones said the investment in school maintenance and capital works demonstrated the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to state education facilities.

Media contact: Minister Jones’ office 3719 7530