NSW Department of Education officials have hosted a roundtable with 17 principals whose schools and local communities have been impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Ms Prue Car, and Department of Education Secretary, Mr Murat Dizdar, praised the resilience and hard work of local communities during a visit to North Coast schools in mid-March.
The NSW Government is repairing damage at North Coast schools as quickly as possible as communities continue to recover from the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with all schools now reopened.
Schools and Department of Education staff have been working around the clock since the ex-Tropical Cyclone passed, carrying out safety inspections, mopping up and clearing debris such as fallen trees to enable students to return to the classroom.
Three trucks and two vans supplied additional equipment and resources for affected schools, including an additional six generators, 88 air purifiers, 32 air scrubbers, and 11 pallets of bottled water, as well as disposable gloves, paper towels, pump soap, tissues, toilet paper, and personal insect repellents.
All 253 public schools that were closed last week are now back in operation after Coraki Public School, which was being used as an evacuation centre, reopened for students on 17 March.
Most schools in the affected areas have avoided major damage, but all outstanding repairs will be carried out as a matter of priority.
During their visit in mid-March, the Deputy Premier and Secretary hosted a roundtable with 17 principals whose schools and local communities have been impacted by both ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the 2022 flood event.
They also visited four schools across the Northern Rivers – Byron Bay High School, Lismore South Public School, Mullumbimby Public School and Woodburn Public School – to discuss their recovery progress, along with Member for Lismore and newly-appointed Minister for the North Coast Ms Janelle Saffin and Member for Ballina Ms Tamara Smith.
The NSW Department of Education is continuing to work with schools to ensure students and staff affected by the disaster get the mental health and wellbeing support they need, through counselling services and school-based wellbeing nurses.
“This disaster has again demonstrated how vital our public schools are to their communities, in some cases acting as evacuation centres for people in need,” Mr Dizdar said.
“We hoped for the best and prepared for the worst – and we are so relieved that the worst did not eventuate.
“Schools and communities appreciated the early decisions in terms of their operational status, and the support they’ve received so they were able to prepare accordingly.
“We are working hard to ensure affected communities are given all the support they need during their recovery.”
