Nearly $10M to be spent on school building in Mandurah area

14/11/94

Nearly $10 million will be spent on school building and upgrading projects in the Mandurah area as part of the Education Department's capital works program.

Education Minister Norman Moore said today that Mandurah was one of the fastest- growing areas in the State and needed a number of major projects.

The two new primary schools nearing completion at Teranca and Halls Head accounted for most of the budget for the area.  By the time they opened their doors to their first students at the end of January 1995, each of the schools would have cost more than $3.6 million.

Both would have similar facilities including a pre-primary centre, 12 teaching areas, a library/resource centre, an art/craft room, a music room, canteen, covered assembly area and an administration block.  In addition, Teranca would have an Education Support Centre for students with disabilities.

The Halls Head school was expected to open with 45 pre-primary and 280 primary students. Terance would have 45 pre-primary pupils and about 330 primary students.

Mr Moore said that $1.75 million in additions to the Coodanup Senior High School were also nearing completion and would be ready for the start of the new school year in January.  The project included a seven-class cluster and a pre-vocational centre for students following trades-oriented courses.

The new facilities would enable the removal of several temporary classrooms from the school site.

At Pinjarra Primary School, preliminary planning was complete and an architect was due to be appointed for a $500,000 upgrade.  Construction was due to start early next year and would take about six months.

The school would have its covered assembly area relocated away from classrooms where noise had proved a problem in the past.  Its bitumen quadrangle area would be prepared for a landscaping project, for which the school community was to devise plans.

A new art/craft room would be provided and student and staff toilets were to be upgraded. Multi-purpose sports hardcourts were to be constructed in a fenced area.

Mr Moore said that at Dudley Park Primary School, preliminary planning was under way for an $85,000 upgrade of the administration area.

Discussions were due to be held with the school within the next few weeks to finalise details of the project. Work on the refurbishment was due to begin after the start of the 1995 school year.

Media contact:  Ross Storey  321 1444 or 222 9595