17 January 2023

Playground funding found for Googong Primary School but questions remain

| Claire Fenwicke
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An artist’s impression of Googong Primary School. Photo: School Infrastructure.

Students at the new Googong Primary School will now have access to a playground after additional funding was found by the NSW Government.

Monaro MP Nichole Overall announced $150,000 would be provided so students had something to play on.

“This new multi-million dollar school will deliver state of the art learning facilities to not just the students but to the wider Googong community,” she said.

“This school will be open for day one, term one, 2023 where students will benefit from these amazing facilities which will now include the playground equipment in addition to the sports courts already being delivered.”

The Googong P&C had been actively fundraising to supply the school with play equipment before this announcement.

READ ALSO Grant allows for upgrades to a local playground in the Eurobodalla

However questions remained.

P&C president Candice Cox contacted School Infrastructure on 8 December, asking what consultation with the school would be undertaken about the play equipment and when it was expected to be delivered.

Recent changes to the Educational Facilities and Standard Guidelines (EFGS) have now made play equipment a mandatory requirement for new primary schools.

However this requirement did not exist when Googong Primary School was first designed.

“The updated Educational Facilities and Standard Guidelines (EFGS) includes the provision of play equipment for schools,” an Education Department spokesperson said.

“As funding for the playground has recently been secured, early planning for the playground will begin next year.”

This follows the announcement the entire school won’t be ready in time for day one, term one of 2023.

The school will instead be opened in stages, with all classrooms to be operationally ready to welcome students for their first day of school next year.

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