Advertisement

Higher learning: Flood-hit schools could be on the move

The Palaszczuk Government admits it may need to relocate up to six state schools damaged in recent deadly floods and it is reassessing the site of a planned school in west Brisbane.

Apr 19, 2022, updated Apr 19, 2022
One Mile state school in Gympie was inundated. (Image: Facebook)

One Mile state school in Gympie was inundated. (Image: Facebook)

Milpera State High School, Aviation High, Rocklea State School and Milton State School in Brisbane, One Mile State School in Gympie and St Helens State School in Maryborough all reopened on Tuesday.

The six schools were severely damaged, along with thousands of homes and businesses, and 14 people were killed in major floods in the state’s southeast in late February.

Education Minister Grace Grace says the combined insurance bill for the damaged schools was more than $30 million.

She said the schools hd been cleaned up and rebuilt, but the government was looking at how to mitigate future floods.

“At the moment I think all options are on the table,” Grace told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

“Of course you need to be sensible about these things, but at the moment, they’re all returning back to their schools.”

She said most the buildings in the affected schools were structurally sound, but they needed to be elevated above a major flood level to prevent interior damage.

“Look everything’s on the table, we need to really look at this properly,” the minister said.

“We’ve got hopefully enough time to be able to do that, and that we don’t see major flooding like this for quite a while to come.”

Grace said the government was also reassessing the proposed site for a new primary school at Perrin Park, in Brisbane’s inner west, which was also flooded.

She said the government wanted to be absolutely convinced the site for the $65 million school was safe.

“It is a site that has been obviously announced as being the site, but we’ve had a major flooding event and I think it’s only normal that we ask questions and have a relook at it.”

Queensland suffered four major floods between December 2021 and March 2022, while there have been two major floods on Brisbane River in 11 years.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in late February said Queensland is facing more frequent extreme rainfall and floods if carbon emissions aren’t cut.

Local News Matters
Advertisement

We strive to deliver the best local independent coverage of the issues that matter to Queenslanders.

Copyright © 2024 InQueensland.
All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy