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Gilston State School

"Our new BER-funded facilities give us the opportunity to do business in a different way.

"With the facilities now completed, there's a real feeling of excitement throughout the school about what's possible and what's ahead," says Bruce Langes, Principal of Gilston State School.

Located in the Gold Coast hinterland, Gilston State School received funding of $3 million under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21) element of the Australian Government's Building the Education Revolution (BER) program to build a multipurpose hall and resource centre.

The resource centre features a library; a computer lab, with 28 PCs allowing for whole-of-class activities; a multi-media centre; a science centre and an outside learning area overlooking the adjoining bushland.

With environmental sustainability in mind, the centre has been designed so as to avoid the use of air-conditioning through the incorporation of passive cooling utilising the latest designs, while rainwater will be harvested from its large roof surface for irrigation and toilets.

The hall -large enough to accommodate the school's 556 students - will be used for lunch time activities, performing arts, assemblies, presentation nights and a diverse range of sports.

"I also see the hall as having the potential to be a real hub for the local community. Outside community groups won't have to travel so far to undertake their activities".

Included in the school's BER funding was $200,000 in National School Pride (NSP) funding which Bruce described as being 'a real coup'.

"Before we were awarded NSP funding we had been planning on putting three interactive white boards - we ended up getting thirteen!

"NSP funding has also allowed the school to put in covered walkways between buildings and fibre optic cabling and data outlets linking classrooms.

"BER has had a significant impact on our school - it's hard to describe it in any way," Bruce said.

BER has also had a significant impact on the local building industry, according to Craig Watts, site supervisor for Northbuild, the builders responsible for Gilston State School's new facilities.

"BER has helped out the building industry no end, with about 120 local tradespeople employed on the construction work at Gilston State School.

"It's been a good stimulus for the local building industry, as well as helping kids getting extra facilities.

"BER has been good for the economy, good for the local building industry and good for the kids," Craig said.

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