Aireys Primary upgrades begin

CONSTRUCTION has started on a $2.2 million modernisation of Aireys Inlet Primary School’s library and multi-functional space later this year.

School principal Jennifer Abel said portable buildings that housed the art and music rooms were removed in January and foundations for a general-purpose classroom are ready for a slab to be poured next week.

“We’re currently running art and everything else out of our library and once this is done then the library will go into the general purpose classroom and then they’ll start on the refurb’ of the library,” she said.

Geelong based Lyons Construction company will complete the works, which have been designed by Sibling Architecture in conjunction with school authorities.

Ms Abel said the present completion date for all works was mid-June this year.

When the design tender was first announced in September 2021, the school had hoped a construction start date of mid-2022 was achievable but Ms Abel said the rising cost of materials coupled with the schools high fire risk location meant the process had been drawn out.

“All last year I was in meetings for the planning phase… it’s been a really good process, but long,” she said.

“The frustrating thing is that because we’re at the top rating for a bushfire, everything costs so much more… the original plans have had to change so many times and then of course the availability of materials has been an issue too, so we’ve had to make a few changes due to that.”

The added cost of bushfire-resistant design and construction has also meant that some initially planned features have had to be culled.

“The really nice items that we’ve really wanted we’ve had to pare back on… but saying that, we’re a small school and we will have a beautiful art space and new room there and that will finish off the building beautifully,” Ms Abel said.