$63 MILLION MORE FOR SCHOOL PROPERTY PROJECTS

Schools can look forward to having all of their outstanding deferred maintenance cleared by the new millennium, Education Minister Wyatt Creech announced today.

"Deferred maintenance has been a problem for too long. Schools will find out today how they will benefit from the $63 million set aside for deferred works projects this financial year," Mr Creech said.

Mr Creech said that this year ?s Budget signalled that the backlog would be cleared for the new century. The $63 million would clear about half of the backlog, and the rest would be attended to next year.

More than 1,200 schools will benefit from the extra property work, which follows consultation with school Boards of Trustees and District Property Consultative Committees.

"For the first time this year, schools have been given the option of cashing in their deferred maintenance entitlement and spending it on modernisation projects to the same value.

?This offer by the Government has had a large take-up,? Mr Creech said. ?Of the $63 million budget, about $40 million will be spent on modernisation.

?It is pleasing to be able to give Boards of Trustees the opportunity to make their own decisions about how this deferred maintenance money should be spent on their schools.

?Many Boards have decided for themselves how their entitlement will be spent, rather than being bound by a prescriptive list of work put together years ago and which may no longer be what their school needs.?

Mr Creech said schools which had not been included in this year?s programme could look forward to receiving the opportunity next year.

The $63 million deferred maintenance money is part of the $382 million property programme for schools this financial year. The Minister has previously announced details of 460 new classrooms and $40 million worth of upgrading projects for schools this financial year.