School Building Program Running Behind In Australia

THE federal government’s school buildings program is still running behind schedule, a Senate committee has heard.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations officials were quizzed about the progress of works at primary schools under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) scheme today.

Round one projects were meant to be completed by December 20, 2010.

But department deputy secretary Michael Manthorpe said by the end of last year only 87 per cent of small school projects had been finished and 84 per cent of large school projects.

Round two projects were supposed to be wrapped up by January 31, 2011, but at December’s end only 71 per cent of small school projects were wrapped up and 58 per cent of large school projects.

Another four weeks remain before round three primary school projects are due to be completed.

So far, half of all small school jobs have been done ahead of schedule, and 32 per cent of large school jobs.

Opposition universities spokesman Brett Mason said the delays were unacceptable and embarrassing for the government.

“This means that up to 4500 BER projects might not be finished for up to four years after the global financial crisis, which the BER program was supposed to safeguard us against,” he said in a statement.