Gas Heaters

A question put forward to the Hon. T.G. ROBERTS in relation to gas heaters.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK:

1. How many gas heaters are in South Australian schools and educational institutions?

2. How many are unflued?

3. In which schools and educational institutions are unflued gas heaters located?

The Hon. T.G. ROBERTS: The Minister for Education and Children’s Services together with the Minister for Further Employment, Training and Further Education have advised the following:

Information provided by the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS), indicates that there are currently 2 566 gas heaters in schools and 105 gas heaters in preschools/child care centres. I amalso advised by the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education that there are 79 gas heaters in TAFE campuses including Tauondi College, 17 of which are unflued and that these are located in Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE—O’Halloran Hill Campus, Tauondi College, Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE—Mt Barker Campus and Regency Institute of TAFE—Parafield Campus. As a matter of policy and practice, DECS has not installed

unflued gas heaters within schools and preschools since 1983. The remaining numbers have been dramatically reduced so that now less than 160 of these heaters remain within our schools and other educational institutions.

It should be noted that the greatest majority of the remaining appliances are located within transportable classroom spaces that are subject to removal as part of the Department’s Asset Management planning process. Other unflued gas heaters have been replaced by governing councils using locally managed funds.

DECS is presently awaiting advice from the Department of Administrative and Information Services (DAIS) that will identify exact numbers and locations of the unflued gas heaters that are still in operation within educational institutions. This information will be looked at on a case-by-case basis that includes consideration of replacement of individual heaters if they are the single source of heating in confined classroom spaces.