More than $600 million has been spent over the past year on Western Australia’s public school infrastructure, from refurbishments and new classrooms to increase capacity, to entirely new schools concentrated in Perth’s southern corridor.
The Department of Education’s 2025-26 annual report reveals that, over the last financial year, $611.05 million was spent through the public school infrastructure asset investment program.
The biggest spend of the past financial year was on construction for stage two at Piara Waters Senior High School to provide more accommodation and specialist classrooms, to the tune of $73.2 million.
Also included in the total figure was the completion of two new schools – Sunrise Primary School and Wungong Primary School – which both opened for the beginning of the school year.
The continued construction of new primary schools in Alkimos, Banksia Grove and Piara Waters to open for the 2027 school year was also included in the multimillion-dollar investment.
Education Minister Sabine Winton recently visited the construction sites for all three schools, and was happy to see construction “well under way”.
Winton said more than $6.4 billion had been invested in since 2017, when Labor was elected.
More than $2.1 billion has also been invested over the next four years to deliver new schools and modernise existing facilities across the state.
Winton held up the new $165 million East Perth Primary School as a “particularly exciting project”.
“It will give more inner-city families access to a great local public school as Perth’s population continues to grow,” she said.
“We’re also delivering seven new primary schools set to open in 2027 and 2028, with another four planned for 2029 and 2030 to help relieve enrolment pressures in fast-growing outer suburbs.
“New secondary schools are also planned for Brabham in 2028 and Alkimos in 2030.”
Winton also flagged work was under way on a $316 million investment in major upgrades at 17 schools, ranging from new general learning areas to sports halls and specialist STEM facilities, and a separate investment that would result in minor upgrades at 61 schools, including improvements to classrooms, student services, sporting and play spaces, as well as new shade structures.
“While our government is building new schools, we also recognise the need to maintain the schools that have served WA communities for decades,” she said.
“That’s why we have invested $400 million to boost school maintenance and deliver improvements, ensuring our schools remain fit-for-purpose for students and staff.
“At the 2025 election, only WA Labor made a commitment to upgrading air-conditioning at 45 WA public schools to reverse-cycle within this term of Government through the Cool the Schools program.
“This is significant work, with most schools requiring substantial power upgrades and careful planning to minimise disruption.”
Opposition Education Minister Liam Staltari has previously slammed the state government over those airconditioning upgrades, stating only three of the 45 promised schools actually had their air-conditioning upgraded by the 2026 summer.
“Parents and teachers will be forgiven for feeling very let down,” he said at the time.
Winton said six schools were now upgraded, but that the remaining upgrades would be delivered within the timeframe promised.
Holly Thompson is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in education and the environment.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
