Published by The Advertiser by Michael McGuire
Huge quotes and delays mean vital upgrades are just not done, communities claim
Compton Primary School only has about 85 students. It sits on the edge of Mt Gambier and out the front of the little school sits its rough-looking basketball and netball courts open to all the elements that the southeast tip of South Australia can throw at them.
Six-year-old Elka is a tough country kid though. Asked what she does when it rains, she said: "I play in the rain.''
Her mother Jenna Paproth would prefer another solution. A shelter to be built over the courts that will let the kids play when the weather isn't co-operating. Which in Mt Gambier is quite often.
"In summer it can get to more than 40 degrees, so (with a shelter) they could still play outside comfortably,'' she said.
"Otherwise, there's not much undercover area at the school.
"It's probably even more needed in winter though, I think.''
There was a plan to build an undercover shelter at the school. By one estimate it would cost around $100,000. But the estimate provided by the government-approved supplier Ventia was $300,000. The shelter was not built.
The ASX-listed Ventia has a more than $4bn contract with the state government to look after its building, including schools, but was recently lambasted by the Auditor-General for allowing contractors to overcharge, for taking too long to carry out repairs, and being a cybersecurity threat.
The Auditor-General's findings about Ventia came after allegations some regional schools were being forced to use the government-mandated company, rather than local tradies, costing them tens of thousands of extra dollars for simple jobs.
In one instance, mentioned by Mt Gambier MP Troy Bell in parliament, a school in the state's South-East was quoted $65,000 to build a fence that a local contractor estimated would cost $2000. The fence at Kingston Early Learning Centre has not been replaced.
Mr Bell also mentioned McDonald Park Primary School which previously had its gutter cleaned once a year in July by a local contractor who charged about $500.
Another Ventia contractor was then sent unannounced in December and submitted a bill for $5000.
Mr Bell said schools in the region were falling behind private school counterparts because repairs and upgrades were either not happening or costing much more than they should.
"All our public schools are looking old and tired,'' he said.
At Compton another parent, who did not want to be named, said rural schools were ignored by state government.
"Schools in Adelaide get big indoor gyms and we can't get a cover for a basketball court," he said.
There is a general frustration the Ventia contract is making life more difficult for schools who want to upgrade facilities. The common complaint is they are slow to respond, are overly bureaucratic and too expensive. These are all complaints echoed by the Auditor-General.
Many local contractors won't work with them because the process to become a certified supplier to Ventia is overly complex and they have plenty of other work to keep them busy. But it also means fewer options for Ventia, which could have the impact of both increasing delays and pushing up prices.
Kingston District Council chief executive Ian Hart said for eight years there had been attempts to upgrade netball courts and to build a new early learning centre. This ongoing frustration predates Ventia's contract, which started in 2021, but Mr Hart said the rough nature of the netball courts was causing injuries to players.
Community development officer Kristen Wilks said one "of the problems with Ventia is how slow it is to get information back from them''.
The council has funding of $5.3m to build its proposed early learning centre on the grounds of the Kingston area school but work hasn't started because the state government does not believe it can build it for that amount.
Mr Hart said it had received costings from the state government which would add 30 per cent to the project. But he said the council believed if it had more control over the project the $5.3m would be enough.
"Anecdotally we have received advice from local trades that the potential cost to deliver this project would fall far closer to our budget that what has been advised,'' he said.
"And that there are local trades available to commence this project in 2025.''
The early learning centre project does not involve Ventia but also points to the difficulties country schools are experiencing in improving facilities.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis this week said the Ventia contract was "one of the worst contracts the former government inflicted on South Australia''.
Ventia, for its part, acknowledged there were problems.
A Ventia spokesperson said it was "aware of the findings'' and was "working collaboratively with the Department of Infrastructure and Transport to deliver ongoing improvements across the contract."
Something for the kids at Compton to hold on to.