Classroom Demountables Replacement Program

The Hon. MELINDA PAVEY: My question is directed to the Acting Minister for Education and Training. Given that the Department of Education and Training has admitted that it does not even know the age of more than one-third of all the demountable classrooms in New South Wales government schools, how can the Minister ensure that demountable classrooms, such as the 28 located at Sydney's Chester Hill High School, the 14 at Port Macquarie-Hastings Tacking Point Public School and the five at Camden Haven Public School, will be effectively replaced and upgraded under the Government's Demountable Replacement Program?

The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS: Demountable buildings are an integral part of the accommodation strategy of the Department of Education and Training. The department uses demountable buildings to help manage constantly changing patterns of enrolment for emergency accommodation. Demountables are also a valuable resource in meeting accommodation needs arising from capital works and maintenance projects in schools. The department continues to maintain its refurbished demountables in schools on a regular program basis—I might add, with the assistance of Corrective Services. Do members know that Corrective Services help at Goulburn and Cessnock?

Indeed, I recall the Hon. Melinda Pavey, in one of her light-headed moments one year, asking me a question about people stealing demountable classrooms from the correctional centre at 2 o'clock in the morning. She asked me whether I had undertaken a stocktake to see that no-one had broken into a correctional centre to knock off the demountables. Demountables are pretty big things to remove from a correctional centre without detection, but the sleuthful activities of the Hon. Melinda Pavey warrant some investigation. From the investigations I undertook, I was able to reassure the honourable member that those demountable classrooms were properly accounted for. That was a great relief to the honourable member.

The Hon. Melinda Pavey: Why don't you just take all the ministries?

The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS: I am waiting for the day that members opposite do the decent thing and give the Hon. Melinda Pavey a shadow ministry. She has been continually passed over in reshuffle after reshuffle after reshuffle. The poor member just sits there—look at all the talent oozing out of her. No-one has bothered to recognise it, except me.