School campuses help net millions as state sells more than 30 Education Department properties

ABOUT 12 school campuses are among more than 30 Education Department assets sold by the Newman Government last financial year, including one which netted the state more than $12 million.

The full list of 33 properties sold by the Department of Education for about $38 million was revealed yesterday during a parliamentary estimates hearing, including the Brisbane School of Distance Education at West End which sold for $12.645 million.

School campuses are helping the Newman Government raise millions in asset sales.

The sale of the Bremer State High School site at Silkstone raised about $6.870 million while the sale of more than 10 departmental residences raised more than $1.7 million.

But the list has come in under the $70 million target with another $32 million in property still to be sold to help fund a school maintenance program.

Yesterday, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said he was confident the sales target would be met but said it did not include eight schools currently facing possible closure across the state.

"Those land sales may not happen year to year. They sometimes take more than a financial year to complete partly because of issues to be sorted out with other government departments as well and the market itself," Mr Langbroek said.

"That's something that's come out of Cabinet and I need to make sure we reach that value.

"When we've got an asset base of $18 billion, this is a very small proportion.

"It's a rolling program and any potential school closure sites are not part of that budgeted money."

Fortitude Valley State School, Old Yarranlea State School, Toowoomba South State School, Stuart State School, Wyreema State School, Nyanda State High School, Charlton State School and Everton Park State High School are being considered for sale with a decision to be made within weeks.

Mr Langbroek said the state had so far spent $56,165 on four months' worth of consultancy fees to help determine which of the eight schools should be closed.

Mr Langbroek accused the former Labor government of failing to put in place a process to assess school viability because former ministers did not have the "intestinal fortitude" or the "gumption", leaving it up to the Newman Government to do it.

"We, of course, do have the intestinal fortitude to make sure that we have a proper process to look at viability," he said.

Mr Langbroek and his senior departmental bureaucrats were grilled for five hours at the Education and Innovation Committee hearing yesterday on everything from the planned school closures to TAFE staff cuts and a $100 million underspend on early education programs.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk told the hearing the state had set aside $332 million in the 2012/13, but only spent $234 million.

Mr Langbroek said the department had found $37 million in savings and had not spent the rest due to the "uncertainty" of the Commonwealth's funding commitments in the area.

It comes amid a State Government target to universally provide kindergarten programs taught by a qualified teacher by the end of this year.

Claims were also raised that department representatives warned a P &C president to stop her social media campaign against the proposed closure of the Toowoomba South State School.

Education Director-General Dr Jim Watterston told the hearing he would investigate but had no knowledge of any such directive being issued.

Mr Langbroek also denied issuing such a directive from his office.

Department of Education, Training and Employment assets sold:

Auburn River State School, Sujeewong – $43,800

Blackstone State School, Blackstone – $524,400

Bremer State High School, Silkstone – $6,870,756

Brisbane School of Distance Education, West End – $12,645,000

Charleville Residence No 56, Charleville – $66,700

Condon State School Site, Condon – $1,691,900

Denison (Bowen) State School Site, Bowen – $391,000

Dinmore State School, Dinmore – $607,200

Vacant land, Edmonton – $900,000

Emerald Residential 127 – $121,656

Emerald Residential 128 – $122,439

Emerald Residential 152 – $135,491

Emerald Residential 153 – $133,817

Emerald Residential 154 – $135,209

Glenden State School (part only) – $1,073,450

Hemmant State School Sporting Fields (part of property) – $653,200

Ipswich State High School Outdoor Education Centre (Mount Berryman) – $184,000

Junction View State School and Residence – $207,000

Kuranda Residence No.4 – $165,600

Moore State School – $64,400

Mount Isa Residence No.133 – $395,600

Mount Louisa State School Site – $2,198,750

Muckadilla State School and Residence No.1 – $184,000

Nerimbera State School – $322,000

Roma Residence 118 – $245,531

Stanton Lodge Secondary SEDU – $699,200

Strathpine Pre-School – $2,036,000

Tambo Residence No.3 – $87, 400

Wamuran State School Second Site – $1,056,000

Wycombe State School and Residence – $89,240

Wynnum North Early Childhood Development Centre – $954,743

TAFE assets sold

Brisbane North Institute of TAFE – Ithaca – vacant land (part only) – $1,757,000

The Bremer Institute of TAFE – Ipswich City (Bremer) – $1,664,000

Total for all DATE Properties

$38,426,482

nnew3670ed 24 Jul, 2013

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Source: http://www.educationnews.com/2013/07/24/school-campuses-help-net-millions-as-state-sells-more-than-30-education-department-properties/
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