Grays Point Public School - "Our School in the Park"

Building the Education Revolution Guidelines

The following lists the responsibilities of principals if our school community elected to 'self-manage' the $2.5 million building project. 

  1. A security deposit of 10 percent of the construction cost is to be lodged by the school with the Department of Education and Training
  2. A project contingency of 10 percent is to be allowed and will only be committed to be spent with the specific approval of the Department of Education and Training.
  3. The project schedule will identify key milestones where failure to meet these milestones may result in the Department of Education and Training stepping in and taking over the project.
  4. Works must be managed by an experienced professional project manager.
  5. Only appropriately qualified and licensed trades people are to be engaged.
  6. Projects must comply with all the relevant statutes, regulations, by-laws and the requirements of Australian Government, NSW Government, local authorities, and the Department of Education and Training including the school facilities standards and information technology standards.
  7. Projects must comply with infrastructure requirements, standards and state infrastructure planning which may impact on the capacity of a project to be insured, maintained, secured and integrated into the school infrastructure.
  8. Building works must be approved by the Minister for Education and Training (the local Asset Management Unit may approve as delegated) as the owner of the land to ensure they align with services and future plans for the site.
  9. Projects must have relevant planning approvals including the approval of the local government and the Department of Education and Training.
  10. Tendering must meet the NSW Government Capital Procurement and Tendering requirements as summarised in chapter 3.5 and 3.6 of the Public Finance Audit Act.
  11. Department of Education and Training Financial delegations must be complied with. Delegations relate to a complete project and not individual purchase elements.
  12. At the conclusion of the project, work as executed drawings and asset data must be provided to the local Asset Management Unit so proper maintenance and cleaning can be scheduled.
  13. Works must be undertaken and completed within the Commonwealth Government's stimulus package timeframes. If the project is delayed (even if it is because there were supply problems or unforseen circumstances) the school will become liable for any unfinished work. For example if the school hall 'fit out' hasn't been completed by the end of the timeframe the Department of Education and Training will not be able to fund the fit out. There is no extra money on standby if timeframes aren't met.
  14. Child protection is an important issue for all schools to consider. Schools are responsible for making sure that all workers on site are properly supervised at all times and that the proper work methods are in place to ensure students are protected.
  15. Principals will be required to report both weekly and monthly to Department of Education and Training and the Commonwealth Government via the Taskforce Chairman on the progress of the project including expenditure, progress, jobs and apprenticeships. If the Principal fails to do so the Commonwealth Government may at any given time cease the funding of the project. The Department of Education and Training will not be able to fund any unfinished work if this happens.
  16. Works must be completed within the approved funding allocation and scope, this includes all associated works to enable the project to become operational. For example, if a principal discovers part way through planning their project that a power upgrade, a sewer upgrade or any other extra work is needed to make the project operational, this must be done from within the school's Building the Education Revolution funding allocation. The Department of Education and Training will not be able to provide additional funding - the school could be liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of extra building work.
  17. All designs must comply with the School Facilities Standards, design templates, Building Codes of Australia and must comply with the environmental undertakings stipulated by the Commonwealth Government as part of Building the Education Revolution funding.
  18. While your local AMU will do their best to give assistance, the advice they can provide will be limited because of the size and complexity of Building the Education Revolution projects, and they must also continue to deliver all of the NSW Government funded school capital works and maintenance projects.
  19. If someone who is working on the school's Building the Education Revolution project is injured (and this can include students who wander onto the site) the Principal as site controller, will have to prove to WorkCover that you took all possible steps to prevent that accident taking place.
  20. There are fines attached to any injuries that happen on building sites. The Department of Education and Training can be liable up to a maximum of $550,000 for any accidents or injuries on these sites and the school Principal (as project manager) can be separately and personally liable up to $55,000 for any accidents or injuries that happened on their site.

Non government schools were given the funds by the Federal Government to self-manage their own projects.
T-Bone