Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hillarys Primary School in my electorate was built in 1973. Over the past 47 years the condition of the buildings has deteriorated to the point where the facilities present an occupational health and safety risk to both students and staff. I visited the school at the invitation of the principal, Trevor Mitchell, and observed firsthand the dilapidated conditions of the facilities, which include asbestos, water damage from roof leaks, dampness and mould, inadequate ventilation, uneven pavements posing tripping hazards, rusted roof trusses, flaking paint, the absence of handrails, cracked ceilings, dirty and slippery tiles in the toilets and even bricks falling down from walls. Many of the current building conditions are noncompliant with Australian building codes and disability access standards. It appears that the Hillarys Primary School has been overlooked in both of the most recent rounds of the state government's school maintenance program, announced in 2019 and on 3 August this year. This has the potential to expose the WA Department of Education to public liability claims. With an enrolment of 585 students, Hillarys Primary School requires urgent maintenance and refurbishment. I call upon the McGowan government to address the critical maintenance issues at Hillarys Primary School as a matter of priority.