Victorian School Building Authority Explained

Victorian School Building Authority
Type:Government agency
Founded:August 2016
Hq Location:33 St Andrews Place
Hq Location City:Melbourne
Hq Location Country:Australia
Key People:Tom Kirkland (CEO)[1]
Parent:Department of Education (Victoria)

The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is a division of the Victorian Department of Education which is responsible for the construction of new government schools and infrastructure improvements at existing schools.[2] It was established by the Andrews Government as part of the 2016 Victorian Budget.[3]

Between 2017 and 2024 the Authority opened 96 new primary and secondary schools in the state and plans to open an additional 25 by 2026.

A number of the VSBA's new schools are so-called "vertical schools" on inner-city sites, a new concept in Victoria.[4]

History

During the 2014 Victorian state election, then Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews promised $1.3 billion for new schools and school upgrades.[5] The School Building Authority was established as part of the 2016 state budget as part of a $1.1 billion school infrastructure package.[6] This included $42 million to build and reopen Richmond High School, 22 years after the school was controversially closed by the government of Jeff Kennett.[7] This came after research published by the Grattan Institute that found, due to the state's rapid population growth, Victorian schools would need to absorb an extra 190,000 students in the decade from 2016, requiring 7,200 new teachers and 140 to 220 new schools to be built.[8] In 2017, Education Minister James Merlino said the state needed to absorb an additional 90,000 students over the next five years.[9]

The removal of trees for the construction of Beaumaris Secondary College caused controversy in 2016.[10]

In the lead-up to the 2018 state election, Andrews announced the Authority would build 100 new schools over the next eight years in order to meet Melbourne's population growth, with 45 schools to be built over the next term of government.[11] [12] The schools would mainly be built in the city's growing outer suburbs at an additional cost of $850 million.

In July 2022, the state government released tenders for eleven new schools.[13] In October 2022 during the 2022 state election, Andrews announced funding for a further 25 new state schools would be built in Victoria by 2026, with 90 schools upgraded or expanded, at a cost of $1.6 billion.[14] This was to meet the government's commitment to build 100 new schools by 2026.

Architecture

The scale of the school infrastructure program led the VSBA in 2017 to seek architects for its new schools, and for new permanent, modular classrooms for existing schools.[15] [16] A number of these classrooms were to replace existing buildings that contained asbestos. The Authority was tasked with replacing 100 of these buildings with prefabricated classrooms.

At certain inner-city locations, space was constrained, and the authority embarked on building "vertical school" campuses, a first for Melbourne. Richmond High School became the state's first vertical high school while South Melbourne Primary School was heralded as the state's first vertical primary school. Designed by Hayball, the 525 student South Melbourne Primary opened in 2018, serving the nearby rapidly growing inner-city areas of Southbank and Fisherman's Bend.[17] The six-story campus sat on a half-acre site on Ferrars Street, adjacent to a new park built on land purchased by the state government and the City of Port Philip in 2017.[18] The primary school would have no formal classrooms and instead would feature a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces and a central staircase for circulation, with the architect saying it represented a new approach to density for Melbourne.[19] The project was named Future Project of the Year at the 2016 World Architecture Festival in Berlin.[20]

Other inner-city schools like Prahran High School, which opened in 2019, were built as vertical schools.[21] The 650-student school is four storeys tall and is designed by Gray Puksand.[22] COX Architecture and McGregor Coxall designed the three-story campus for Docklands Primary School in the CBD-adjacent Docklands precinct.[23]

Childcare centres

In 2022, the Andrews Government announced that the VSBA would build 50 childcare centres across Victoria.[24] [25] Part of a major $9 billion expansion of state provision of childcare, the first four centres were planned to open by 2025 and are being colocated with existing primary or secondary schools.[26] [27]

List of new VSBA schools

width=40% School[28] width=12% Suburb or townwidth=12% Yearswidth=12% Statuswidth=12% Opened
Aintree Primary SchoolAintreeP–6Finished2021
Aitken Hill Primary SchoolCraigieburnP–6Finished2019
Armstrong Creek SchoolArmstrong CreekP–12Finished2018
Ashley Park Primary SchoolDoreenP–6Finished2019
Bannockburn P–12 CollegeBannockburnP–12Finished2018
Banum Warrik Primary SchoolKalkalloP–6Finished2024
Barrawang Primary SchoolWollert WestP–6Finished2023
Barton Primary SchoolCranbourne WestP–6Finished2017
Bass Coast College – San Remo CampusSan Remo7–9Finished2022
Beaumaris Secondary CollegeBeaumaris7–12Finished2018
Bemin Secondary CollegeTruganina7–12Finished2024
Beveridge Primary School – New CampusBeveridgeP–6Finished2020
Binap Primary SchoolBrookfieldP–6Finished2024
Botanic Ridge Primary SchoolBotanic RidgeP–6Finished2020
Bridgewood Primary SchoolOfficerP–6Finished2018
Brinbeal Secondary CollegeTarneit 7–12Finished2024
Burnside Primary SchoolBurnsideP–6Finished2019
Casey Central Primary School (interim name)CobblebankP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Casey Fields Primary SchoolCranbourne EastP–6Finished2020
Clyde Creek Primary SchoolClydeP–6Finished2022
Clyde North Primary School (interim name)Clyde NorthP–6Under construction2025 (planned)
Clyde North Secondary School (interim name)Clyde North7–12Under construction2025 (planned)
Clyde Secondary CollegeClyde7–12Finished2022
Cobblebank Secondary School (interim name)Cobblebank7–12Planning2026 (planned)
Cranbourne West Secondary CollegeCranbourne West7–12Finished2021
Davis Creek Primary SchoolTarneitP–6Finished2020
Deanside Primary SchoolDeansideP–6Finished2022
Dharra SchoolAintreeFinished2024
Docklands Primary SchoolDocklandsP–6Finished2021
Dohertys Creek P–9 CollegeTruganinaP–9Finished2019
Donnybrook Primary SchoolDonnybrookP–6Finished2023
Edenbrook Secondary CollegePakenham7–12Finished2021
Edgars Creek Primary SchoolWollertP–6Finished2021
Edgars Creek Secondary CollegeWollert7–12Finished2018
Elevation Secondary CollegeCraigieburn7–12Finished2020
Endeavour Hills Specialist SchoolEndeavour HillsFinished2022
Eynesbury Primary SchoolEynesburyP–6Finished2021
Featherbrook P–9 CollegePoint CookP–9Finished2017
Fishermens Bend Primary School (interim name)Port MelbourneP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Footscray High School – New Junior CampusFootscray7–9Finished2021
Gaayip–Yagila Primary SchoolMicklehamP–6Finished2021
Garrang Wilam Primary SchoolTruganinaP–6Finished2021
Gilgai Plains Primary SchoolKalkalloP–6Finished2022
Grayling Primary SchoolClyde NorthP–6Finished2020
Greater Shepperton Secondary CollegeShepperton7–12Finished2022
Greenvale Secondary CollegeGreenvale7–12Finished2022
Hamlyn Views SchoolHamlyn HeightsFinished2018
Harvest Home Primary SchoolEppingP–6Finished2017
Homestead Senior Secondary CollegePoint Cook10–12Finished2020
Horseshoe Bend Primary School (interim name)CharlemontP–6Planning2026 (planned)
John Henry Primary SchoolPakenhamP–6Finished2017
Karwan Primary SchoolTarneitP–6Finished2023
Keelonith Primary SchoolGreenvaleP–6Finished2021
Keysborough Gardens Primary SchoolKeysboroughP–6Finished2020
Kurmile Primary SchoolOfficerP–6Finished2024
Kurrun Primary SchoolOfficerP–6Finished2023
Laa Yulta Primary SchoolMambourinP–6Finished2024
Leneva (Frederic Street Road) Primary School (interim name)Wondonga EastP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Lockerbie Secondary School (interim name)Kalkallo7–12Planning2026 (planned)
Lockerbie Specialist School (interim name)KalkalloPlanning2026 (planned)
Lollypop Creek Primary SchoolWerribeeP–6Finished2023
Lucas Primary SchoolLucasP–6Finished2020
McKinnon Secondary College – East CampusMcKinnon7–12Finished2022
Mernda Central P–12 CollegeMerndaP–12Finished2017
Mernda Park Primary SchoolMerndaP–6Finished2017
Mickleham Secondary CollegeMickleham7–12Finished2023
Mirripoa Primary SchoolDuneedP–6Finished2020
Monash Children's Hospital SchoolClaytonFinished2017
Morwell Central Primary SchoolMorwellP–6Finished2018
Nearnung Primary SchoolTarneitP–6Finished2023
Newbury Primary SchoolCraigieburnP–6Finished2017
Nganboo Borron SchoolWerribeeFinished2024
Ngarri Primary SchoolManor LakesP–6Finished2023
North Melbourne Primary School – New CampusNorth MelbourneP–6Finished2023
Orchard Park Primary SchoolOfficerP–6Finished2021
Oberon High SchoolArmstong Creek7–12Finished2021
Pakenham Primary SchoolPakenhamP–6Finished2019
Pakenham North West Primary School (interim name)PakenhamP–6Under construction2025 (planned)
Point Cook South P–9 (interim name)Point CookP–9Planning2026 (planned)
Point Cook South Specialist School (interim name)Point CookPlanning2026 (planned)
Port Melbourne Secondary CollegePort Melbourne7–12Finished2022
Prahran High SchoolWindsor7–12Finished2019
Preston High SchoolPreston7–12Finished2019
Quarters Primary SchoolCranbourne WestP–6Finished2023
Ramlegh Park Primary SchoolClyde NorthP–6Finished2021
Richmond High SchoolRichmond7–12Finished2018
Riverbend Primary SchoolWyndham ValeP–6Finished2021
Riverdale North Primary School (interim name)TarneitP–6Under construction2025 (planned)
Riverwalk Primary SchoolWerribeeP–6Finished2020
Saltwater P–9 CollegePoint CookP–9Finished2019
South Melbourne Park Primary SchoolSouth Albert ParkP–6Finished2019
South Melbourne Primary SchoolSouthbankP–6Finished2018
Springside West Secondary CollegeFraser Rise7–12Finished2018
Strathtulloh Primary SchoolStrathtullohP–6Finished2022
Tarneit Plains Primary School (interim name)TruganinaP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Tarneit Rise Primary SchoolTarneitP–6Finished2018
Tarneit Senior CollegeTarneit10–12Finished2018
Thompsons West Primary School (interim name)Clyde NorthP–6Under construction2025 (planned)
Thornhill Park Primary SchoolThornhill ParkP–6Finished2023
Toolern Waters Primary School (interim name)Weir ViewsP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Topirum Primary SchoolClyde NorthP–6Finished2024
Torquay Coast Primary SchoolTorquayP–6Finished2018
Tulliallan Primary SchoolCranbourne NorthP–6Finished2017
Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary CollegeWerribee7–12Finished2024
Wallan East Primary School (interim name)WallanP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Wangaratta District Specialist School – New Benalla CampusClyde NorthUnder construction2024 (planned)
Warreen Primary SchoolTruganinaP–6Finished2024
Wayi SchoolCraigieburnFinished2023
Wilandra Rise Primary SchoolClyde NorthP–6Finished2017
Willowbank Primary SchoolGisborneP–6Finished2022
Wimba Primary SchoolTarneitP–6Finished2024
Wollert Primary SchoolWollertP–6Finished2022
Wollert Andrews Road Primary School (interim name)WollertP–6Planning2026 (planned)
Wollert Central Primary School (interim name)WollertP–6Under construction2025 (planned)
Wollert Secondary CollegeWollert East7–12Finished2023
Yarrabing Secondary SchoolAintree7–12Finished2024
Yubup Primary SchoolMicklehamP–6Finished2024

Notes and References

  1. News: Victorian Government Directory.
  2. Web site: 23 May 2023 . About us . 10 January 2024 . Victorian School Building Authority.
  3. News: Anderson. Stephanie. Sod turned on Melbourne's first 'vertical' public school. 4 March 2017. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 August 2016.
  4. News: Cook. Henrietta. Going high on High Street, Prahran with $25m vertical school to hit the heights. 4 March 2017. The Age. Fairfax Media. 3 March 2017.
  5. News: Alcorn . Gay . 2014-10-26 . Victorian election: Labor promises $1.3bn in education funding . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-02-23 . 0261-3077.
  6. Web site: Willingham . Richard . 2016-04-26 . Victorian state budget 2016: Labor pledges $1.1 billion education spending blitz . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  7. Web site: Cook . Jewel Topsfield and Henrietta . 2014-08-04 . Labor promises new high school for Richmond . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  8. Web site: Cook . Henrietta . 2016-01-17 . Schools shortage crisis hits Victoria . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  9. Web site: Cook . Henrietta . 2017-02-21 . Richmond's $43m, really high school gets off the ground, aims to be open by 2018 . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  10. News: Spooner . Rania . 22 October 2016 . Fight to save hundreds of trees at future Beaumaris Secondary College site . The Age . Fairfax Media . 4 March 2017.
  11. Web site: Cook . Adam Carey, Henrietta . 2018-11-07 . Labor promises 100 new schools in $850m election pledge . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  12. News: Johnston . Matthew . 7 November 2018 . Labor pledges 100 new schools for Victoria . Herald Sun .
  13. Web site: Nicholson . Ralph . 2022-07-21 . Next Step Taken in $1.8bn Schools Infrastructure Plan . 2023-02-23 . The Urban Developer . en.
  14. Web site: Carey . Adam . 2022-10-24 . Labor makes $1.6b pledge to build and upgrade schools across the state . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  15. News: ArchitectureAU . Editorial . 30 March 2017 . Victorian government to court architects for school building boom . Architecture Australia .
  16. News: Editorial . ArchitectureAU . 1 May 2018 . Architects invited to join Victoria's prefab schools blitz . Architecture Australia .
  17. News: Hunn . Patrick . 6 March 2018 . Victoria's first vertical school rings in the academic year . Architecture Australia .
  18. Web site: Bend . Fishermans . 2018-08-10 . Work begins on new park for Fishermans Bend . 2023-02-23 . Fishermans Bend . en.
  19. Web site: 2016-12-22 . South Melbourne Primary School will feature no formal classrooms says architect Ann Lau . 2023-02-23 . Dezeen . en.
  20. News: ArchitectureAU . Editorial . 22 November 2016 . Australian project tops the world at WAF . Architecture Australia .
  21. News: Cheng . Linda . 7 March 2017 . New Melbourne vertical school unveiled . Architecture Australia .
  22. Web site: Prahran High School Victorian School Building Authority . 2023-02-23 . www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au . en.
  23. Web site: Sier . Kirsty . 22 November 2017 . "Nourishing, balanced and sustainable": Masterplan revealed for Docklands Primary School . 2023-02-23 . Architecture & Design . en.
  24. Web site: Smethurst . Annika . 2022-06-15 . Kindergarten to get a $9b overhaul, with more places and longer hours . 2023-02-23 . The Age . en.
  25. Web site: Lucas . Freya . 2022-11-20 . Vic Government to build 50 low-cost ECEC services if re-elected: locations announced . 2023-02-23 . The Sector . en-AU.
  26. Web site: 50 childcare centres for Victoria Victorian School Building Authority . 2023-02-23 . www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au . en.
  27. Web site: We'll open 50 new childcare centres . 2023-02-23 . Dan Andrews . en-AU.
  28. Web site: Projects in my area Victorian School Building Authority . 2023-03-25 . www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au . en.

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