I am pleased to be able to update the House on the Building the Education Revolution program. The three different phases of the Australian government’s $14.7 billion stimulus package are being rolled out by Education Queensland and the Department of Public Works.

The National School Pride funding provides for minor infrastructure and refurbishment projects in
Queensland schools, as well as allowing the purchase of equipment such as interactive whiteboards which will help ensure the best learning environment for our students.

The Primary Schools for the 21st Century funding has seen two of the three rounds rolled out, and plans are afoot for the construction of halls and resource centres in much needed areas. Locally, this means all of my state schools and high schools have received funding under National School Pride and work is moving ahead apace. In rounds 1 and 2 of P21, over $13 million has been allocated to five local schools for the construction of halls and libraries. With round 3 due in the next couple of weeks, the rest of my schools will be able to move ahead with their plans.

Pine Rivers State High School has been awarded funding under the Science and Language Centres program under a competitive bid. Pine Rivers State High School is an excellent learning institution, and the allocation of these additional funds will ensure that local students have the opportunity to study in the most advanced facilities possible.

The other important aspect of this funding is the creation of local jobs for local contractors at a time when Queensland needs to be creating jobs to bolster us against the increasing unemployment rate, which is due mostly to the global financial crisis. This funding goes hand in hand with the Bligh government’s ongoing record investment in capital works and maintenance programs to state schools.

It should be noted that the school communities I have been visiting, both as the member for Pine
Rivers and as the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, have embraced this funding for much needed facilities to be built and modernised. Let us not forget that the Liberal and National parties in the federal parliament opposed this stimulus package. It was also the LNP here in the Queensland parliament that argued against the idea of the stimulus package. I bet they do not mention that when they are in their local schools, attending celebrations of milestones of the Building the Education Revolution program. I will continue to oversee this excellent funding program and commend the government on its investment in Queensland schools.