The Department of Education has informed In the Cove that building works will recommence on the Lane Cove Public School Hall during the school holidays.
In the Cove has been pushing the Department of Education for a restart date. A spokesperson for the Department of Education stated:
“The Department of Education has notified the contractor who is undertaking the reconstruction of the Lane Cove Public School hall to commence works, which will begin this month.
“Delivering this upgrade as soon as possible is a high priority for the department and the new contractor. We will provide updates as the project progresses and will share an expected completion date once available.”
In the Cove has been told that the main reason for the delay was a legal dispute between the insurer and the Department of Education.
As the Department of Education has given the contractor the go ahead, we understand that the site sheds will be installed over the school holidays and that there is no impediment (other than weather) for the contractor Stephen Edwards Constructions (a Macquarie Park company) to start work in April 2024.
Background
The Lane Cove Public School Hall was destroyed by fire days before the Term One 2020 school year commenced.
This was a massive blow to the school community as the school hall had been used for numerous activities, from assemblies, concerts, the music programme, sports and after-school activities. It was also a source of income for LCPS.
As the hall was destroyed by fire, School Infrastructure NSW had to wait for the insurance assessor to advise the next steps. Construction was finally started in 2022.
A project update was released in February 2023, and an expected completion date was mid-2023. On 31 March 2023, construction on the hall was halted due to the Lloyd Group being placed into voluntary administration.
Subsequent to that meeting Caleb Taylor, President of the Lane Cove Public School P & C wrote to School Infrastructure NSW asking for an explanation as to why the school hall had not been completed.
Caleb stressed the following:
The response from School Infrastructure is below.
“Due to the complexities surrounding this project, including insurance funding and the liquidation of a previous contractor, work has taken longer to commence than we would have hoped.
This was unavoidable but all parties have worked through the additional complexities as quickly as possible to ensure the project is completed promptly. We understand the frustration of the school community which has been without its hall since 2020.
Pending any weather impacts, the project is currently on track to be completed mid-year.
The project has required more administrative approvals than normal due to where the funding is sourced, resulting in a slight delay to works commencing. “
After ITC and Caleb Taylor contacted School Infrastructure, the following update was issued:
The parent community is extremely disappointed with the delay. Ben Bradley is the LCPS Parent and Citizens’s Secretary. He has four children. Two of his children went to LCPS before the school hall was destroyed by fire. He has seen first hand the impact on students attending a school without a school hall. His two younger children have no access to a hall for band practice or school assemblies.
Why is it taking so long for the project to start?
Read more about the fire here.
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