Frequently Asked Questions about the SEQ Schools Project
1. What are Public Private Partnerships?
A Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a partnership between the public and private sector that uses
the skills of each sector to deliver infrastructure in a timely and efficient way and provides value for
money for the state.
PPPs provide an effective mechanism for ensuring that project risks are allocated to the party, either
the private or public sector, which is best able to manage those risks. A PPP can thereby assist the
government to contain costs and help to ensure that infrastructure continues to serve its purpose
effectively throughout its planned life.
2. What does the Private Sector do in a PPP for new schools?
Aspire Schools has successfully tendered for the South-East Queensland Schools project.
Aspire Schools will be responsible for the construction and on-going maintenance of schools over a
30-year period.
The consortium will have day-to-day management responsibility for maintenance, cleaning, janitorial
and schools officer (grounds-keeping) staff, while these staff will remain employees of the
Queensland Government and continue to enjoy coverage under the relevant Awards and Certified
Agreements.
Community groups and parent and citizens' associations will also remain integral to each school's
community.
The core school and education services will remain the responsibility of the Department of Education
and Training (DET). In essence, the private sector delivers and maintains the facilities while the
department is able to concentrate on the delivery of educational services.
3. Where will the new PPP schools be built?
The South-East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program has identified a need for new schools in
a number of growth areas. This project comprises seven new schools in high-growth areas of the
Sunshine Coast, Western Corridor, Gold Coast and Redlands.
4. When were the schools built?
The schools were built in two stages, with stage one of each school completed for the start of the
following school years:
2010
 Peregian Springs - This school accommodates up to 667 students from Prep to Year 7.
 Thornlands South - This School accommodates up to 775 students from Prep to Year 7.
2011
 Bellbird Park - This school accommodates up to 837 students from Prep to Year 7.
 Collingwood Park - This school has a total permanent building student capacity of approximately
808 students from Prep to Year 7.
 East Coomera - This school has a total permanent building student capacity of approximately 823
students from Prep to Year 7.
2012
 Bundilla - This school has a total permanent building student capacity of approximately 581
students from Prep to Year 7.
 Murrumba Downs - This school offers specialist facilities for a science laboratory, applied
technology and oval from Years 7-12. In Stage Two a sports hall and performing arts centre are
being delivered. This school will have a total permanent building student capacity of approximately
1288 students.
5. Is there anything special about the buildings in these schools?
Each of these seven new schools are the first in Queensland to achieve a 4 star Greenstar rating from
the Green Building Council of Australia, in line with the Queensland Government’s commitment to
protecting the environment for future generations.
The designs for the SEQ Schools Project follow Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD)
principles including:

application of best practice passive design to provide optimum comfort with minimum capital cost
and energy input

maximisation of use of natural daylight and natural ventilation
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
adoption of the ‘3 Rs’ approach, maximising the use of renewable, recyclable and where
appropriate, recycled materials

minimisation of energy and resource consumption

minimisation of air pollution/emissions from the buildings

conservation of water wherever possible

minimisation of the project’s impact, and the maintenance/re-establishment of biodiversity and
natural ecosystems onsite

monitoring and reviewing of strategies to reduce the environmental impact during the design,
construction, and operation of the project.
‘Smart meters’ will be installed in each school to measure energy generated by the solar systems, the
amount of energy being consumed by each school, and the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions. The smart meters will help educate students about energy efficiency, so they can take
what they have learned back to their homes and communities.
6. Are education services in a school delivered under a PPP be any different to services in
schools delivered traditionally?
All educational services remain the responsibility of the Department of Education and Training, as will
all areas of the school requiring direct curriculum involvement with students. These schools, built and
delivered by a PPP, will be no different in the way education is delivered.
Facilities management and on-going maintenance will however, be the responsibility of the private
sector consortium Aspire Schools. The principal and educational staff will focus more intently on
curriculum based school issues.
7. What is the Supported Debt Model Variation of a PPP?
The Supported Debt Model is an alternate method of financing PPP projects. The Supported Debt
Model uses public sector debt during the low risk operational stage of the SEQ Schools Project,
allowing the State Government to take advantage of its ability to borrow money at a lower rate than
the private sector. The general structure of the PPP and the services to be provided under the PPP
remain the same under the Supported Debt Model.
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8. What is meant by Value for Money?
Value for money does not just mean the cheapest possible outcome. Value for money is about
obtaining the best outcome for the State in the delivery of infrastructure across a number of factors,
including price, quality of service delivery to the community, design amenity and sustainability of the
arrangement.
9. Does the delivery of a new school via a PPP impact upon the works of the parents and
citizens’ associations?
Parents and citizens’ associations remain an integral part of the schools community in PPP schools,
with the major area of difference being that parents and citizens’ associations have a reduced focus
on ‘maintenance’ issues (as these responsibilities will rest with the private sector). Parents and
citizens’ associations can continue to focus on providing tuckshop services, educational equipment,
and the like.
10. What impact does PPP procurement have on existing schools and their staff?
The PPP delivery of the SEQ Schools Project has no impact on existing schools, or their staff,
including teachers, teacher aides, cleaners and janitors. The schools delivered with the SEQ Schools
Project are new schools in developing areas and will provide facilities for new student demand.
11. What are the benefits of the SEQ Schools Project?
The SEQ Schools Project links the up-front design and construction of a school with the on-going
maintenance and lifecycle operations. The community is provided with well maintained facilities for
the life of the school. This project puts the focus on maintaining the school facilities at a high standard
for 30 years, as opposed to focusing solely on up-front construction. This allows for solutions that
better meet the whole-of-life requirements of a school facility.
Under the SEQ Schools Project, the private sector has the potential to gain efficiencies in the delivery
of support services through various methods including providing facilities managers to optimise
operations and implementing new technologies and innovations to more efficiently respond to service
requests and ensure satisfactory performance.
These outcomes, paired with the better matching of up-front design and construction with whole-of-life
maintenance, ensures schools are kept at the high standard expected of school facilities.
12. What does this mean for the maintenance of school facilities?
Maintenance is fully budgeted for under the SEQ Schools Project and high level service standards are
set for the 30 year life of the partnership. If these service standards are not met, the private sector will
be financially disadvantaged. The private sector has incentive to maintain the schools at these high
levels, or it will lose part of its payment from the Queensland Government.
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