Building the Education Revolution (BER)
BER is a $14.7 billion national investment from the Australian Government to improve the quality of facilities in Australian schools to meet the needs of 21st century students and teachers.
The three key elements of BER are:
- Primary Schools for 21st Century - $12.4 billion to build or refurbish large scale infrastructure in primary schools, K-12s and special schools, including libraries and multipurpose halls.
- Science and Language Centres for 21st Century Secondary Schools - $1 billion to build up to 500 science laboratories or language learning centres in our secondary schools. There will be a competitive process for proposals. Funding will be allocated to schools that demonstrate need, readiness and capacity to complete construction by 30 June 2010.
- National School Pride Program (Renewing Australia's Schools) - $1.3 billion to refurbish and renew existing infrastructure and build minor infrastructure in all schools.
In Queensland
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) is part of a governance group comprising of Education Queensland, Department of Public Works, Queensland Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Queensland tasked with ensuring contractors involved in BER comply with the highest standards of occupational health and safety during construction activities in schools.
WHSQ and the WHS Board have adopted a Zero Harm at Work philosophy which simply means no harm to anyone, anytime while at work. For Queensland to become the healthiest and safest working state in Australia we ask education administrators, faculty and the construction industry working on BER to accept nothing less than zero harm at work.
WHSQ has developed specific information below to help builders, tradespeople, contractors and schools to understand their workplace health and safety requirements and obligations as part of BER:
- BER fact sheet for contractors and schools (PDF, 158kB)
- Construction safety plan assessment checklist (PDF, 190kB) and site inspection checklist (PDF, 158kB)
- Site security and fencing checklist (PDF, 43kB)
- Building and construction industry workplace health and safety guide (PDF, 411kB)
- Establishing and maintaining effective safety consultation in construction (PDF, 85kB)
Other information:
- Children and young workers code of practice 2006
- Zero Harm at Work Leadership Forum program
- Workplace health and safety legislation (Act, Regulations and Codes of Practice).
