Katamatite Primary School: Schools Upgrade Fund - Round 2

Question

1. Katamatite Primary School was awarded $408,065 under the Commonwealth Schools Upgrade Fund on 28 May 2024. Can the Department provide a detailed timeline of all milestones for this project from approval through to expected completion? 2. When was the Department first advised that the original refurbishment proposal would not be delivered within the approved grant funding allocation, and what action was taken in response? 3. How much of the $408,065 grant has been expended to date on planning, design, project management, consultancy services and tender processes, and how much remains available for actual construction works? 4. What oversight arrangements does the Department have in place to ensure that Commonwealth-funded school infrastructure projects deliver value for money and that excessive administrative costs do not erode funding available for construction outcomes? 5. Given the project was approved more than two years ago and construction has not commenced, what explanation has been provided to the Commonwealth for the delays in delivering upgraded toilet facilities for students at Katamatite Primary School? 6. Has the Department been advised of any cost escalation or budget shortfall associated with this project and, if so, what is the current estimated total project cost compared with the original grant allocation? 7. How many alternative designs have been developed for this project since funding was approved, what was the cost of each redesign process, and who approved those design changes? 8. What assessment has the Department undertaken to determine whether the project management arrangements administered through the Victorian School Building Authority have provided value for money and timely delivery of the project? 9. If both tender processes have returned costs above the approved budget, what contingency arrangements are available to ensure the project proceeds without requiring Katamatite Primary School to divert funds from its own operating budget? 10. What is the current anticipated commencement and completion date for the project, and can the Department guarantee that students will have access to upgraded toilet facilities before the end of the 2026 school year? 11. How many Schools Upgrade Fund Round 2 projects nationally remain incomplete more than two years after funding approval, and how does Katamatite Primary School compare with those projects? 12. Has the Department received complaints or concerns from Katamatite Primary School regarding project management, design quality, consultation processes or delivery delays, and how were those concerns addressed? 13. What proportion of the original Commonwealth grant is expected to be consumed by administration, project management, consultancy and procurement costs rather than direct construction works? 14. Can the Department provide a breakdown of payments made to consultants, architects, project managers and other third-party advisers associated with this project? 15. Does the Department consider it acceptable that students continue to use facilities experiencing blocked plumbing, non-functioning hand basins and ongoing septic system issues more than two years after the Commonwealth announced funding for the upgrade?

Answer

Please see the attached PDF.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000380.pdf (opens in a new tab)