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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Sarah Lansdown

Private school used unapproved demountable classrooms

Brindabella Christian College could face regulatory action over two demountable classrooms that were built without proper approvals.

A group known as the Community for Constitutional Reform at Brindabella Christian College said the school was putting students at risk by holding classes in one of the unapproved buildings between 2019 and April this year.

"Parents expect [the school] to provide safe and legally compliant learning spaces for their children," the community said in a statement.

"It would appear that neither the school, nor the department in charge of ensuring compliance, is taking this issue seriously. Children are potentially being put at risk when structures and services they use as classrooms haven't got the necessary building approvals."

The group wrote to Access Canberra to raise the issues around compliance with planning and building laws through a controlled activity order.

A decision letter from Access Canberra from April 16 showed that two separate prefabricated buildings did not have building approvals.

"Access Canberra is currently considering appropriate regulatory action to bring those two buildings without BAs (building approvals) into compliance with the requirements of the Building Act," the letter said.

An ACT government spokeswoman said Access Canberra would not comment on individual matters or ongoing investigations.

"Access Canberra always works with businesses and organisations to remedy any issues of non-compliance and uses an "education first" approach," the spokeswoman said.

Brindabella Christian College did not respond to questions regarding the buildings.

Prefabricated classrooms were installed near Brigalow Street in July 2023 without building approval.

The classrooms were subject to a stop work notice from Access Canberra and have been vacant since they were installed.

Another set of demountable classrooms located on the south-east boundary of the school site also do not have building approval.

Two demountable buildings at Brindabella Christian College were constructed without building approval. Picture file

These classrooms, known as C Block, have been used by students since 2019 despite not having approval, according to former parents of students who attended the school.

Approval was given in 2017 for a maintenance shed on this corner of the property, however it is now occupied by the unapproved classrooms.

Planning documents show the classrooms were meant to be removed completely from the site as part of conditions on a 2016 development application for the junior school.

However, instead of being disconnected and removed from the site, they were relocated to the south eastern corner of the campus.

Access Canberra issued a show cause notice to the school on March 25 asking for a response to the allegations.

Legal representatives for the school said the application should be dismissed and no controlled activity order should be made.

Principal Keturah Jones said in an email on April 4 that students who usually had classes in C Block would go to a newly opened building from April 5 onwards.

Access Canberra decided not to make a controlled activity order as they determined there was no breach of the development application conditions.

The agency said it was still considering regulatory action to bring the two demountables without building approval into compliance with the building laws.

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