Firm Construction: Wellard Village Primary School principal confirms school won’t be finished for Term 1

A new southern suburbs primary school is the latest casualty from the fallout of embattled builder Firm Construction with parents told Wellard Village Primary School will not be built in time for the beginning of the 2023 school year. The Perth builder was on Monday ordered by the State Government to stop work on Wellard Village Primary School over tardy progress and has since been stripped of the contracts it was handling for the Metronet Bayswater train station project. Officers from the Department of Finance were on site at the unfinished school on Monday to wind up the struggling builder’s involvement in the project. Wellard Village Primary School principal Jaclyn Huts sent a letter sent to parents, telling them “the Department of Education has advised there has been a change with the construction of our new school”. “The Department of Education is working closely with the Department of Finance, as the contracting agency, to ensure our students and teachers can commence on day 1, 2023,” the letter said. “The Department of Finance is aiming to appoint a new builder to complete as much of the school as possible for day 1, 2023. Transportable classrooms will be available as a contingency. “It is likely that works to complete the school will continue throughout term 1.” Wellard mum Danielle Bryers, who has enrolled her son Oliver to start at the school next term, said she was disappointed the school would not be complete in time for the first term of 2023. She said news that work would continue while students were attending in the new year was “not ideal”. “I’d rather my son be taught in a demountable than an unsafe or incomplete classroom,” Ms Bryers said. “And I’d rather that as it means they will be attending the school he’s enrolled in, while not ideal it’s better than not being able to attend the school at all.” The young mum of two said the unexpected news had raised several concerns for her. “I also hope it doesn’t mean the tradies will be cutting corners in order to get the job completed faster. There are many thoughts and concerns running through my head right now,” Ms Bryers said. While Ms Bryers said she was glad the school would be opening after all, the potential of having to find a replacement was stressful. “I don’t even know if my son would be accepted into another school now as enrolments have closed for most schools. It’s something I’m hoping not to have to do,” she said. “I don’t feel like it’s appropriate to expect us to potentially send our children to a different school for one term, or however long it takes to complete, and then move him again. We’ve purchased uniforms and the booklist to attend this school.” But Ms Bryers said this wasn’t the first concern she’d had with the school being ready for student intake. The primary school notified parents in September that its outside school hours care provider, Big Childcare, might not be up and running until Term 2. It said the starting date of the service would be “determined by our practical completion and handover date from the architects/builders”. “After we get practical completion we can start the second stage of the licencing required for the Department of Education,” the newsletter update said. “Whilst we are hopeful that we will have a service to open on Day 1 of Term 1 2023, given the timelines it may not be possible to start this service until Term 2.” The service is now likely to be pushed back further given the new revelations that building will continue into Term 1. Ms Bryers and her husband, John, both work full time and were relying on the OSHC service to make their lives a little easier at school drop-off and pick-up. “(It’s) pretty stressful and very hard to plan what to do next year with so much up in the air,” she said. Premier Mark McGowan said on Tuesday that he had no regrets about taking the school project away from the construction company. “Periodically, building companies go into administration,” he said. “They often look to blame someone else.” “But the reality is we’ve taken over or taken back these projects.” The Department of Finance confirmed it is “in the process of appointing a replacement builder” for Wellard Village Primary School. “(The Department) will work with that company, once appointed, to retain existing subcontractors and expedite the remaining works ahead of the 2023 school year,” it said. “The Department’s current focus is to minimise the impact on subcontractors and any disruption to the project.” Department of Education executive director of infrastructure Rob Thomson said the department is working with the Finance department to “ensure Wellard Village Primary School can open for students and staff on Day 1 of the start of the 2023 school year”. “To date, there are currently just over 300 students enrolled at Wellard Village Primary School, and it is not anticipated that students will need to attend any other schools,” Mr Thomson said.