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Olympics Impact on East Brisbane State School: Department of Education

Amy: My question is for the minister. Minister, you have said that the benefits of the Olympics will be felt across the state, yet it is becoming increasingly clear that a legacy of the Olympic Games will be the closure of East Brisbane State School. Can you provide details on what options are being considered and the likely future of the school?


Minister for Education: 
I thank the member for the question. I think I answered a very similar question on notice in relation to what you have asked. You are asking it again. I know that the Greens do not support the Olympic Games.


Amy: That is correct.


Minister for Education:
I know they call it a flash in the pan. I do not know whether that necessarily reflects the views of a lot of citizens around Queensland.


Amy: 
It does. It certainly reflects the views of my electorate.


Minister for Education:
...

In answer to the question on notice I said there are a number of options and scenarios that could possibly come about. Once a decision is made on the extent and timing of the stadium rebuild—which has not been done to date—we are operating in a vacuum. We do not know the footprint. We do not know the design. We have a schematic sketch. We are still stabbing in the dark. It is still 10 years away, but I recognise that the stadium probably needs to build for the future. We are looking at all of those things, as I said in my response to you. We will always commit to consultation. I have met with the school community and Minister Hinchliffe on two occasions. I promise that when we have more information I will meet with them again.


Amy: 
I do not think that constitutes consultation.


Minister for Education:
We now have a meeting scheduled because I know they have heard all of the speculation and all of the misinformation—


Amy:
And lack of information.


Minister for Education: 
—that is coming out from the Greens. If you have any information that you can give them please share it with me, because at the moment no decision has been made.


Amy: 
We are waiting for answers from the government.


Minister for Education: 
No decisions have been made. No final designs are available. If you have them please share them, because I certainly do not. All I can say to you is that I am more than happy to meet with the school community. From memory, we have a meeting on 16 August. We have always committed to full consultation with that school community, but I just do not want it to be fake consultation for consultation’s sake. That is disrespectful to that school community. I want to give them the information they justly deserve to make an informed decision and to work with us on what we need to do in relation to East Brisbane State School. As I said, I have already met with them. I think the Deputy Premier, who is also the minister for Olympics infrastructure, has already met with them on two occasions. I think they are getting the same response as well—


Amy:
No responses.


Minister for Education: 
There are no responses because we have not finalised the design; do you understand?


Amy:
You will finalise design before you consult with the school community?


Minister for Education: 
We know that the stadium is going to be built on that site. We know that we have the Olympic Games in 2032. We do not know the full impact at the moment, but of course there are options and things that we are looking at. I am happy to meet with the school community. I will meet with them soon. Once the government makes a decision they will be the first to be consulted. I extend my absolute commitment—in spite of the misinformation and misleading points that are being made by the Greens on social media—to full consultation with that school community. I give them my guarantee
in spite what of has been said by the Greens, who hate the Olympic Games and see it as a flash in the pan.


Amy:
To clarify, Minister, you will make a decision before consulting?


CHAIR:
Member for South Brisbane, you do not have the call. I said from the get-go this morning that people at this table are to conduct themselves respectfully. Speaking over the top of the chair is not doing that, so I will now call to the member for Moggill for the next question.

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