The interim report of the [url=http://www.bertaskforce.gov.au/documents/publications/BERIT_Interim_Report_06082010.pdf?source=cmail]independent inquiry into the school building[/url] component of the government’s stimulus package has endorsed the massive program declaring it “is delivering much-needed infrastructure to school communities while achieving the primary goal of economic activity across the nation”.
The taskforce said the program was “one of the largest national public works programs ever funded by the Commonwealth” and had attracted complaints relating to less than 2.7% of the 10550 individual projects.
The inquiry found that QLD government’s overall costs per square metre were $2800.
The schools program was intended to deliver jobs and fast in the face of economic meltdown. To that extent the program delivered in spades. Based on its consultations with industry the inquiry concluded “the BER provided the construction industry with a significant economic stimulus which prevented many construction organisations from reducing staff and/or the size of their operations to match an otherwise decreasing workload resulting from the GFC. Some indicated that without the work generated by the program they may have had to cease operation.”
Jurisdictions that emphasised speed of implementation paid more. “In some jurisdictions it appears that education authorities placed a lower relative emphasis on cost and quality in order to achieve a very rapid implementation program and associated economic stimulus. NSW paid more for projects because it rolled them out more quickly delivering more stimulus more rapidly.
Even judged against normal capital works standards the schools program appears to have been remarkably successful with less than 2.7% of projects generating complaints.
The schools stimulus program has been under sustained attack with claims the program is wasteful and a “debacle”. Like the ANAO report in May this interim report discredits this campaign comprehensively and in detail.