Queensland Government Office of the Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations 3 APR 2018 Ms Maria Santiago Email: Dear Ms Santiago Thank you for your email dated 19 February 2018 to the Honourable Grace Grace MP, Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations, regarding your petition to extend the Cooler Schools Zone. I have been asked to respond on the Minister's behalf. I acknowledge the issues you have raised in your petition regarding air conditioning in Queensland state schools and also the support your petition has received to date. The Palaszczuk Government recognises the impact excessive heat can have on the health and wellbeing of students and staff, and has a policy of air conditioning schools in the hottest and most humid parts of Queensland. These areas are known as the Cooler Schools Zones. Beyond these Zones, the Department of Education may provide air conditioning on a case-by-case basis in response to specific issues, such as medical conditions or environments where equipment or acoustic measures require the use of air conditioning, for example, music practice rooms requiring closed doors and windows. The department also incorporates passive cooling measures in new school and classroom designs to reduce temperatures inside classrooms. These measures include building orientation, shade from direct sunlight, good ventilation and ceiling fans. For further information regarding the department's policy on Managing Excessive Heat in Schools, please visit the department's website at www.education.q1d.gov.au/schools/ healthy/wellbeinq-quidelines/heat. html. Many schools outside the Cooler Schools Zones have elected to air condition some or all classroom spaces using alternative funding sources, for example funding provided by the Parents and Citizens' Association, or use of the school's annual minor works allocation. In making this decision, schools take into account the ongoing electricity cost of operating air conditioners, and may plan to help mitigate this cost in a number of ways, including installing energy-efficient systems or using the air conditioners at certain times of day. The choice to fund the installation and running of air conditioners is a matter for prioritisation at the school level. I encourage you to raise the matter with your local schools to discuss your concerns. 1 William Street Brisbane 4000 PO Box 15033 City East Queensland 4002 Australia Telephone +61 7 3719 7110 Email: education@ministerial.q1d.gov.au Email: industrialrelations@ministerial.q1d.gov.au 2 If you require additional information or would like to discuss this matter further, I invite you to contact Mr Dave Baxter, Executive Director, Infrastructure Planning and Delivery, by email at dave.baxterqed.q1d.qov.au or on telephone (07) 3034 4836. I trust this information is of assistance. Yours sincerely ko/-} SHARON DURHAM Chief of Staff Office of the Hon Grace Grace MP Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations Ref: 18/116603