Building the Education Revolution program

Mr Fletcher asked:

In respect of the Building the Education Revolution program, what procedures has the Government put in place, or what procedures has it required of State and Territory governments and/or builders or contractors, to protect against asbestos contamination from building works.

Mr Crean responded:

Safety is a priority for the Government across stimulus programs. Under the Building the Education

Revolution (BER) program, measures are in place to deal with the identification of hazardous materials in schools, including asbestos, prior to construction commencing and for dealing with the treatment of those materials if discovered after construction has commenced.

State and territory governments and non-government education authorities are responsible for managing the implementation of Building the Education Revolution (BER) projects. The Bilateral Agreements and Funding Agreements entered into between the Commonwealth and the state and territory governments and non-government education authorities require compliance with all relevant statutes, regula tions, by-laws and requirements of any Commonwealth, state, territory or local authorities, including those that pertain to the handling of hazardous materials.

For example, BER projects in NSW are administered by three education authorities, representing government, Independent and Catholic schools. In relation to the asbestos management action plans in place for government school projects, the NSW Department of Education and Training advises that it requires all Managing Contractors to complete hazardous materials investigations. If hazardous materials are found at a school, the Principal is informed, and depending on the materials found, Workcover and the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change are also informed, as required by law. Where appropriate, construction work is halted until any remediation work is carried out.

The Association of Independent Schools of NSW advises that its schools are aware of their requirement to comply with all local council laws, building codes and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, and that adherence to these requirements, or procedures pertaining to the handling of hazardous materials during the building process, are embedded into builder’s contracts.

The NSW Catholic Block Grant Authority advises that the diocesan Facility Management Groups in

NSW are experienced in the identification, removal and remediation of sites contaminated by a range of hazardous materials, including asbestos, in accordance with relevant laws and other requirements.

Safety to students, teachers, workers and the community is part of their contractual arrangements.