Victorian School Building Authority
TypeGovernment agency
FoundedAugust 2016
Headquarters33 St Andrews Place, ,
Key people
Tom Kirkland (CEO)[1]
ParentDepartment of Education (Victoria)
Websitewww.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au

The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is a division of the Victorian Department of Education which is responsible for the construction of new government schools and infrastructure improvements at existing schools.[2] It was established by the Andrews Government as part of the 2016 Victorian Budget.[3]

Between 2017 and 2023 the Authority opened 82 new primary and secondary schools in the state and plans to open an additional 20 by 2025.[2]

A number of the VSBA's new schools are so-called "vertical schools" on inner-city sites, a new concept in Victoria.[4]

History

During the 2014 Victorian state election, then Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews promised $1.3 billion for new schools and school upgrades.[5] The School Building Authority was established as part of the 2016 state budget as part of a $1.1 billion school infrastructure package.[6] This included $42 million to build and reopen Richmond High School, 22 years after the school was controversially closed by the government of Jeff Kennett.[6][7] This came after research published by the Grattan Institute that found, due to the state's rapid population growth, Victorian schools would need to absorb an extra 190,000 students in the decade from 2016, requiring 7,200 new teachers and 140 to 220 new schools to be built.[8] In 2017, Education Minister James Merlino said the state needed to absorb an additional 90,000 students over the next five years.[9]

The removal of trees for the construction of Beaumaris Secondary College caused controversy in 2016.[10]

In the lead-up to the 2018 state election, Andrews announced the Authority would build 100 new schools over the next eight years in order to meet Melbourne's population growth, with 45 schools to be built over the next term of government.[11][12] The schools would mainly be built in the city's growing outer suburbs at an additional cost of $850 million.[11]

In July 2022, the state government released tenders for eleven new schools.[13] In October 2022 during the 2022 state election, Andrews announced funding for a further 25 new state schools would be built in Victoria by 2026, with 90 schools upgraded or expanded, at a cost of $1.6 billion.[14] This was to meet the government's commitment to build 100 new schools by 2026.[14]

Architecture

South Melbourne Primary School
The new South Melbourne Primary School, Victoria's first "vertical" primary school, 2018.
South Melbourne Primary School
Detail of South Melbourne Primary School, 2018.

The scale of the school infrastructure program led the VSBA in 2017 to seek architects for its new schools, and for new permanent, modular classrooms for existing schools.[15][16] A number of these classrooms were to replace existing buildings that contained asbestos.[16] The Authority was tasked with replacing 100 of these buildings with prefabricated classrooms.[16]

At certain inner-city locations, space was constrained, and the authority embarked on building "vertical school" campuses, a first for Melbourne.[9] Richmond High School became the state's first vertical high school while South Melbourne Primary School was heralded as the state's first vertical primary school.[9] Designed by Hayball, the 525 student South Melbourne Primary opened in 2018, serving the nearby rapidly growing inner-city areas of Southbank and Fisherman's Bend.[17] The six-story campus sat on a half-acre site on Ferrars Street, adjacent to a new park built on land purchased by the state government and the City of Port Philip in 2017.[18] The primary school would have no formal classrooms and instead would feature a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces and a central staircase for circulation, with the architect saying it represented a new approach to density for Melbourne.[19] The project was named Future Project of the Year at the 2016 World Architecture Festival in Berlin.[20]

Other inner-city schools like Prahran High School, which opened in 2019, were built as vertical schools.[21] The 650-student school is four storeys tall and is designed by Gray Puksand.[21][22] COX Architecture and McGregor Coxall designed the three-story campus for Docklands Primary School in the CBD-adjacent Docklands precinct.[23]

Childcare centres

In 2022, the Andrews Government announced that the VSBA would build 50 childcare centres across Victoria.[24][25] Part of a major $9 billion expansion of state provision of childcare, the first four centres were planned to open by 2025 and are being colocated with existing primary or secondary schools.[26][27]

List of new VSBA schools

School[28] Suburb or town Years Status Opened
Aintree Primary School Aintree P–6 Finished 2021
Aitken Hill Primary School Craigieburn P–6 Finished 2019
Armstrong Creek School Armstrong Creek P–12 Finished 2018
Ashley Park Primary School Doreen P–6 Finished 2019
Bannockburn P–12 College Bannockburn P–12 Finished 2018
Banum Warrik Primary School Kalkallo P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Barrawang Primary School Wollert West P–6 Finished 2023
Barton Primary School Cranbourne West P–6 Finished 2017
Bass Coast College – San Remo Campus San Remo 7–9 Finished 2022
Beaumaris Secondary College Beaumaris 7–12 Finished 2018
Bemin Secondary College Truganina 7–12 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Beveridge Primary School – New Campus Beveridge P–6 Finished 2020
Binap Primary School Brookfield P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Botanic Ridge Primary School Botanic Ridge P–6 Finished 2020
Bridgewood Primary School Officer P–6 Finished 2018
Brinbeal Secondary College Tarneit 7–12 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Burnside Primary School Burnside P–6 Finished 2019
Casey Central Primary School (interim name) Cobblebank P–6 Planning Undetermined
Casey Fields Primary School Cranbourne East P–6 Finished 2020
Clyde Creek Primary School Clyde P–6 Finished 2022
Clyde North Primary School (interim name) Clyde North P–6 Planning 2025 (planned)
Clyde North Secondary School (interim name) Clyde North 7–12 Planning 2025 (planned)
Clyde Secondary College Clyde 7–12 Finished 2022
Cobblebank Secondary School (interim name) Cobblebank 7–12 Planning Undetermined
Cranbourne West Secondary College Cranbourne West 7–12 Finished 2021
Davis Creek Primary School Tarneit P–6 Finished 2020
Deanside Primary School Deanside P–6 Finished 2022
Dharra School Aintree Under construction 2024 (planned)
Docklands Primary School Docklands P–6 Finished 2021
Dohertys Creek P–9 College Truganina P–9 Finished 2019
Donnybrook Primary School Donnybrook P–6 Finished 2023
Edenbrook Secondary College Pakenham 7–12 Finished 2021
Edgars Creek Primary School Wollert P–6 Finished 2021
Edgars Creek Secondary College Wollert 7–12 Finished 2018
Elevation Secondary College Craigieburn 7–12 Finished 2020
Endeavour Hills Specialist School Endeavour Hills Finished 2022
Eynesbury Primary School Eynesbury P–6 Finished 2021
Featherbrook P–9 College Point Cook P–9 Finished 2017
Fishermens Bend Primary School (interim name) Port Melbourne P–6 Planning 2026 (planned)
Footscray High School – New Junior Campus Footscray 7–9 Finished 2021
Gaayip–Yagila Primary School Mickleham P–6 Finished 2021
Garrang Wilam Primary School Truganina P–6 Finished 2021
Gilgai Plains Primary School Kalkallo P–6 Finished 2022
Grayling Primary School Clyde North P–6 Finished 2020
Greater Shepperton Secondary College Shepperton 7–12 Finished 2022
Greenvale Secondary College Greenvale 7–12 Finished 2022
Hamlyn Views School Hamlyn Heights Finished 2018
Harvest Home Primary School Epping P–6 Finished 2017
Homestead Senior Secondary College Point Cook 10–12 Finished 2020
Horseshoe Bend Primary School (interim name) Charlemont P–6 Planning 2026 (planned)
John Henry Primary School Pakenham P–6 Finished 2017
Karwan Primary School Tarneit P–6 Finished 2023
Keelonith Primary School Greenvale P–6 Finished 2021
Keysborough Gardens Primary School Keysborough P–6 Finished 2020
Kurmile Primary School Officer P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Kurrun Primary School Officer P–6 Finished 2023
Laa Yulta Primary School Mambourin P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Leneva (Frederic Street Road) Primary School (interim name) Wondonga East P–6 Planning 2026 (planned)
Lockerbie Secondary School (interim name) Kalkallo 7–12 Planning 2026 (planned)
Lockerbie Specialist School (interim name) Kalkallo Planning Undetermined
Lollypop Creek Primary School Werribee P–6 Finished 2023
Lucas Primary School Lucas P–6 Finished 2020
McKinnon Secondary College – East Campus McKinnon 7–12 Finished 2022
Mernda Central P–12 College Mernda P–12 Finished 2017
Mernda Park Primary School Mernda P–6 Finished 2017
Mickleham Secondary College Mickleham 7–12 Finished 2023
Mirripoa Primary School Duneed P–6 Finished 2020
Monash Children's Hospital School Clayton Finished 2017
Morwell Central Primary School Morwell P–6 Finished 2018
Nearnung Primary School Tarneit P–6 Finished 2023
Newbury Primary School Craigieburn P–6 Finished 2017
Nganboo Borron School Werribee Under construction 2024 (planned)
Ngarri Primary School Manor Lakes P–6 Finished 2023
North Melbourne Primary School – New Campus North Melbourne P–6 Finished 2023
Orchard Park Primary School Officer P–6 Finished 2021
Oberon High School Armstong Creek 7–12 Finished 2021
Pakenham Primary School Pakenham P–6 Finished 2019
Pakenham North West Primary School (interim name) Pakenham P–6 Planning 2025 (planned)
Point Cook South P–9 (interim name) Point Cook P–9 Planning 2026 (planned)
Point Cook South Specialist School (interim name) Point Cook Planning Undetermined
Port Melbourne Secondary College Port Melbourne 7–12 Finished 2022
Prahran High School Windsor 7–12 Finished 2019
Preston High School Preston 7–12 Finished 2019
Quarters Primary School Cranbourne West P–6 Finished 2023
Ramlegh Park Primary School Clyde North P–6 Finished 2021
Richmond High School Richmond 7–12 Finished 2018
Riverbend Primary School Wyndham Vale P–6 Finished 2021
Riverdale North Primary School (interim name) Tarneit P–6 Planning 2025 (planned)
Riverwalk Primary School Werribee P–6 Finished 2020
Saltwater P–9 College Point Cook P–9 Finished 2019
South Melbourne Park Primary School South Albert Park P–6 Finished 2019
South Melbourne Primary School Southbank P–6 Finished 2018
Springside West Secondary College Fraser Rise 7–12 Finished 2018
Strathtulloh Primary School Strathtulloh P–6 Finished 2022
Tarneit Plains Primary School (interim name) Truganina P–6 Planning 2026 (planned)
Tarneit Rise Primary School Tarneit P–6 Finished 2018
Tarneit Senior College Tarneit 10–12 Finished 2018
Thompsons West Primary School (interim name) Clyde North P–6 Planning 2025 (planned)
Thornhill Park Primary School Thornhill Park P–6 Finished 2023
Toolern Waters Primary School (interim name) Weir Views P–6 Planning 2026 (planned)
Topirum Primary School Clyde North P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Torquay Coast Primary School Torquay P–6 Finished 2018
Tulliallan Primary School Cranbourne North P–6 Finished 2017
Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College Werribee 7–12 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Wallan East Primary School (interim name) Wallan P–6 Planning 2026 (planned)
Wangaratta District Specialist School – New Benalla Campus Clyde North Under construction 2024 (planned)
Warreen Primary School Truganina P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Wayi School Craigieburn Finished 2023
Wilandra Rise Primary School Clyde North P–6 Finished 2017
Willowbank Primary School Gisborne P–6 Finished 2022
Wimba Primary School Tarneit P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Wollert Primary School Wollert P–6 Finished 2022
Wollert Andrews Road Primary School (interim name) Wollert P–6 Planning Undetermined
Wollert Central Primary School (interim name) Wollert P–6 Planning 2025 (planned)
Wollert Secondary College Wollert East 7–12 Finished 2023
Yarrabing Secondary School Aintree 7–12 Under construction 2024 (planned)
Yubup Primary School Mickleham P–6 Under construction 2024 (planned)

References

  1. "Victorian Government Directory".
  2. 1 2 "About us". Victorian School Building Authority. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. Anderson, Stephanie (8 August 2016). "Sod turned on Melbourne's first 'vertical' public school". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  4. Cook, Henrietta (3 March 2017). "Going high on High Street, Prahran with $25m vertical school to hit the heights". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. Alcorn, Gay (26 October 2014). "Victorian election: Labor promises $1.3bn in education funding". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 Willingham, Richard (26 April 2016). "Victorian state budget 2016: Labor pledges $1.1 billion education spending blitz". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  7. Cook, Jewel Topsfield and Henrietta (4 August 2014). "Labor promises new high school for Richmond". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  8. Cook, Henrietta (17 January 2016). "Schools shortage crisis hits Victoria". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Cook, Henrietta (21 February 2017). "Richmond's $43m, really high school gets off the ground, aims to be open by 2018". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  10. Spooner, Rania (22 October 2016). "Fight to save hundreds of trees at future Beaumaris Secondary College site". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  11. 1 2 Cook, Adam Carey, Henrietta (7 November 2018). "Labor promises 100 new schools in $850m election pledge". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. Johnston, Matthew (7 November 2018). "Labor pledges 100 new schools for Victoria". Herald Sun.
  13. Nicholson, Ralph (21 July 2022). "Next Step Taken in $1.8bn Schools Infrastructure Plan". The Urban Developer. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  14. 1 2 Carey, Adam (24 October 2022). "Labor makes $1.6b pledge to build and upgrade schools across the state". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  15. ArchitectureAU, Editorial (30 March 2017). "Victorian government to court architects for school building boom". Architecture Australia.
  16. 1 2 3 Editorial, ArchitectureAU (1 May 2018). "Architects invited to join Victoria's prefab schools blitz". Architecture Australia.
  17. Hunn, Patrick (6 March 2018). "Victoria's first vertical school rings in the academic year". Architecture Australia.
  18. Bend, Fishermans (10 August 2018). "Work begins on new park for Fishermans Bend". Fishermans Bend. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  19. "South Melbourne Primary School will feature no formal classrooms says architect Ann Lau". Dezeen. 22 December 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  20. ArchitectureAU, Editorial (22 November 2016). "Australian project tops the world at WAF". Architecture Australia.
  21. 1 2 Cheng, Linda (7 March 2017). "New Melbourne vertical school unveiled". Architecture Australia.
  22. "Prahran High School | Victorian School Building Authority". www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  23. Sier, Kirsty (22 November 2017). ""Nourishing, balanced and sustainable": Masterplan revealed for Docklands Primary School". Architecture & Design. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  24. Smethurst, Annika (15 June 2022). "Kindergarten to get a $9b overhaul, with more places and longer hours". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  25. Lucas, Freya (20 November 2022). "Vic Government to build 50 low-cost ECEC services if re-elected: locations announced". The Sector. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  26. "50 childcare centres for Victoria | Victorian School Building Authority". www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  27. "We'll open 50 new childcare centres". Dan Andrews. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  28. "Projects in my area | Victorian School Building Authority". www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.