Student Resource Package — School Infrastructure

Policy

This policy provides information about how funding is allocated to schools through the Student Resource Package (SRP) for school infrastructure.

Details

‘School-based funding’ is one of 3 categories of funding provided for by the SRP. Funding for ‘school infrastructure’ is one type of school-based funding provided to schools. The other type of school based funding is funding for School Specific Programs.

The school infrastructure component provides funding for school facilities and programs specific to individual schools. The infrastructure section provides information about the following specific types of infrastructure funding:

• Contract cleaning
• Cross infection prevention allowance
• Cleaning minimum allowance
• Grounds allowance
• Building area allowance
• Split-site/Multi-site allowance
• Utilities
• Maintenance
• Annual contracts and Essential Safety Measures
• Workers’ compensation

Schools are expected to use SRP funds for the purpose for which it was allocated.

For more general information on the SRP, please refer to the Student Resource Package — Overview page.

Related policies

• Asset Management Planning
• Building Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Essential Safety Measures
• School maintenance plans
• Student Resource Package — Overview
• Student Resource Package — Core Student Learning Allocation funding (Student Based Funding)
• Student Resource Package — Equity Funding (Student Based Funding)
• Student Resource Package — Managing the Budget
• Student Resource Package — School Specific Programs
• Student Resource Package — Targeted Initiatives
• Workers’ Compensation

Contacts

Contract Cleaning
Email: cleaning@education.vic.gov.au

Annual Contracts and Essential Services
Email: essential.safety.measures@education.vic.gov.au

Maintenance
Email: maintenance.plan@education.vic.gov.au

School Asset Data
Email: sams@education.vic.gov.au

Utilities
Email: studentresourcepackage@education.vic.gov.au

Workers Compensation
Email: workers.compensation.advisory@education.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 7022 07280

Guidance

School-based funding provides for school infrastructure and programs specific to individual schools.

References:

• Contract Cleaning
• Cross Infection Prevention Allowance
• Cleaning Minimum Allowance
• Grounds Allowance
• Building Area Allowance
• Split-site/Multi-site Allowance
• Utilities
• Maintenance
• Annual Contracts and Essential Safety Measures
• Workers’ Compensation

Contract cleaning (Reference 28)

Funding for contract cleaning

School funding for contract cleaning is included in the Student Resource Package (SRP) based on normal and low-use areas as determined by cleanable spaces identified in the school's facilities schedule.

The cleaning allocation does not include provision for the cost of school consumables such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, disinfectant blocks, hand sanitiser, or bin liners. Funding for these items is in the cash component of the SRP.

The Cleaning Model excludes the provision of cleaning services for school owned assets and the use of school facilities that are outside the normal school (such as external hirer, fetes, sports events, and out of hours use).

The Confirmed SRP is based on the February census. As with other elements of the SRP, the contract cleaning allocation is subject to change based on confirmed enrolments as per the February census.

Contract cleaning allocations are adjusted for any building configuration changes that occur. Where the cleanable area is reduced, the area change is applied from the following term onwards. Where the cleanable area is increased, the cleaning area change is applied from the beginning of the term in which the change was made.

With the introduction of the Victorian Government school cleaning reform, metropolitan schools are advised of the equivalent SRP funding. However, funding for cleaning is no longer provided directly to metropolitan schools as part of their SRP but is held centrally, so the department can pay the metropolitan school cleaning companies directly.

Rates information for this program

Total cleaning area

This is the total of the cleanable areas of the school as per the School Cleanable Area Report (CAR). The Total Cleaning Area used to calculate your budget which is contained in your SRP Cleaning Statement and in the Quarterly Cash Grant advice. Any subsequent changes will be reflected in your CAR. The CAR lists all rooms at a school and their cleanable eligibility, to provide a total cleanable area for the school. It is provided to schools by the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) each month through the School Facility Profile website.

Cleaning area entitlement

The cleaning area entitlement (normal use) for both secondary and primary schools is allocated in square metres according to enrolment bands of 25 students.

The cleanable area in excess of entitlement is deemed as low use area.

For enrolment or area entitlements, refer to: Contract Cleaning Schedule spreadsheet (XLS).

For a small number of primary schools disadvantaged by the 1:25 Schedule introduced in 2001 additional m² area is added to the school’s entitlement on AIMS to restore the school to the better of the former entitlement schedules. The adjustment is removed when the school moves into line with the 1:25 Schedule due to enrolment changes or if the school undergoes a facilities provision or upgrade program.

Building area changes

The budget impact of area changes notified depends on whether the areas are part of the school’s area entitlement and whether they involve designated cleanable areas. Where areas change, schools should refer to the CAR.

If changes are required to the CAR or SAMS Plan, the school should download the latest SAMS plan, mark the areas that have changed or are missing, scan and forward to the Information and Analysis Unit (IAU) at sams@education.vic.gov.au. It may take a few weeks for changes to appear due to the time required to obtain architectural plans and other documentation which confirm the exact changes and building room measurements.

Concurrently, the school should contact the School Cleaning Unit (cleaning@education.vic.gov.au) and their cleaning services provider to ensure that the areas are included in the cleaning schedule.

Funding is calculated at the Indicative, Confirmed and Revised cycles; funding and is allocated through cash funding.

Calculation

[Normal_Use_Area] × [Normal_Use_Rate] plus [Low_Use_Area] × [Low_Use_Rate]

Refer to Rates section for stipulated minimum dollar allocation.

Entitlement cannot exceed Total Cleanable Area.

Rates 2023

Notes

Split-site and multi-campus locations are calculated as separate entities.

Expenditure should be allocated in CASES21 to the following:

• Sub Program Code: 6001 – Building Services and Utilities
• General Ledger Account Code: 86502 – Contract Cleaning.

Cross Infection Prevention Allowance (Reference 29)

Additional cleaning funds are provided to special developmental schools and physical disability special schools to reduce the risk of cross infection.

Expenditure should be allocated in CASES21 to the following:

• Sub Program Code: 6001 – Building Services and Utilities
• General Ledger Account Code: 86502 – Contract Cleaning.

Eligibility

Schools with the following campus types are eligible for Cross Infection Prevention Allowance at campus level:

• Special development
• Disability
• Day Special
• Special.

Funding is calculated at the Indicative, Confirmed and Revised cycles. Funding is allocated through cash funding.

Rates 2023

A flat rate is provided for eligible schools: $13,762

Cleaning Minimum Allowance (Reference 30)

A minimum allowance is applied to all schools and centres that are not included in the metropolitan area-based cleaning model.

Expenditure should be allocated in CASES21 to the following:

• Sub Program Code: 6001 – Building Services and Utilities
• General Ledger Account Code: 86502 – Contract Cleaning.

Funding is calculated at the Indicative, Confirmed and Revised cycles. Funding is allocated through cash funding.

Rates 2023

Minimum: $6,145

Grounds Allowance (Reference 31)

The Student Resource Package (SRP) Grounds Allowance is provided to schools to ensure the grounds of the school are properly maintained.

The types of specific tasks that should be undertaken include:

• lawn mowing
• landscaping services
• sports field maintenance
• tree management
• drainage and flooding issues.

Schools that have already taken part in the Rolling Facilities Evaluation should be using the School Maintenance Plan portal to plan and schedule maintenance tasks. For further information refer to School Maintenance Plans.

Calculation

Grounds area (m²) × Grounds allowance rate

Rates 2023

Grounds allowance rate = 0.34 cents per square metre

Funding allocation

Expenditure should be allocated in CASES21 to the following:

• Sub Program Code: 6502 – Grounds
• General Ledger Account Code: 86505 – Ground Work.

SRP funding for Grounds Allowance is calculated at the Confirmed cycle using updated data and may be updated at the Revised cycle. Funding is allocated through cash funding. Grounds area is sourced from the Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA) annually.

Building Area Allowance (Reference 32)

Funding for the building area allowance is on the basis of the school’s total building area in square metres. Total building area is sourced from the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) annually.

Eligibility

All campus types listed below are eligible for Building Area Allowance funding provided at campus level:

• Day special
• Special development school
• Physical disability
• Special
• Hospital special
• Deaf
• Language
• Youth training centre

Funding is calculated at the Indicative cycle only and allocated through cash funding.

Calculation

Building area square metres × Building area allowance rate

Rates 2023 ($/m² annually)

• $3.07/m²

Example: A special development campus with a total building area of 1,000 m² × $3.07 = $3,007

Split-Site/Multi-Site Allowance (Reference 33)

Split-site/multi-site allowances are paid to designated primary, P-12 and secondary colleges which are not being funded for a separate enrolment linked base (Reference 2). Specialist and Language Schools are also eligible if applied criteria is satisfied.

A school may be eligible for the allowance if:

• it is a specialist school operating on sites that are more than one kilometre apart (not including base rooms) or
• the configuration of the school represents a historical merging of 2 or more schools or
• it has classrooms operating on 2 or more sites, for example, separated by at least a road or an oval (not including alternative settings attached to schools).

Note:

1. Includes P–12 colleges that have more than one primary school site.
2. For approved secondary colleges formed through the merger of secondary colleges on adjacent sites, this item is replaced by a $61,056 site allowance.

Funding is calculated at the Indicative cycle and allocated through cash funding.

Rates 2023

Primary school (includes P–12 colleges that have more than one primary site)

• $6,764 per annum for the second site
• $3,383 per annum for each subsequent site

P–12 school

• $10,672 per annum for each additional site

Secondary college

• $10,672 per annum for each additional site

Language school

• $10,672 per annum for each additional site

Special school

• $2,999 per annum for each additional site

Note: A stocktake of schools is being rescheduled to occur during 2023 and schools currently receiving this allocation will be assessed and sites no longer operational will have funding discontinued from 2024.

Utilities (Reference 34)

Utilities funding is provided as a cash allocation as part of a school’s Student Resource Package (SRP) under the School Infrastructure items. Funding is distributed through the quarterly cash grant.

Utilities funding is provided for the following items.

• electricity
• natural and LPG gas
• water/rates
• refuse and garbage.

Telephones and sanitation costs are not included under the utilities budget.

The utilities budget is based on historical spending plus indexation. It is not formula driven and therefore is not automatically adjusted to reflect changes in a school’s profile.

Schools that have undergone building configuration changes or had major works that have materially impacted on utility costs may be eligible for an ongoing utilities budget adjustment to help support those additional costs.

Whole of Victorian Government energy contracts

The Department is currently a participant in whole of Victorian Government contracts that cover the supply of electricity and natural gas to all school sites (meters).

Electricity

1. Red Energy is our retailer for schools (meters) that consume >40 MWh pa.

Contacts for billing enquiries

Akhil Arora/Taimur Khan:

• Email: business@redenergy.com.au
• Phone: 1300 322 067

2. AGL is our retailer for schools (meters) that consume <40 MWh pa

Contacts for billing enquiries

Email: vicgov@agl.com.au

Phone: 1300 793 477

Natural gas

Origin Energy is the provider of natural gas under a whole of government contract arrangement.

The contract commenced on 1 January 2020 and runs initially for two years.

Contact for billing and new connection enquiries

Email: vicgovernment@originenergy.com.au

Phone: 1800 319 299

For further tariff and contract information, see: Student Resource Package (school user log in required).

Any school not supplied under the relevant whole of Victorian Government contract must contact Mr Brett Duff on email: brett.duff@education.vic.gov.au, to arrange the transition to the appropriate whole of Victorian Government retailer. All other queries can be directed to the retailer.

In lieu of schools joining a Whole of Government contract, schools must not sign or negotiate individual or group contracts for the supply of electricity and natural gas irrespective of usage levels as per the Executive Memo 2005/19 Update on the Supply of Electricity and Natural Gas. .

Water

All schools are supplied water by their designated water authority. No government contract is in place for water.

To assist schools with managing water costs, we encourage you to join the Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP). SWEP is a state government initiative jointly developed and funded by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and the Department of Education and Training (DET).

SWEP provides you with a program to monitor your school's water usage to save water, money and educate students about water efficiency concepts. You can register online for SWEP or learn more by visiting Schools Water Efficiency Program.

Separately, schools in Victoria are eligible for a rebate on their fixed charges for water and sewer (self-supply schools are ineligible). This initiative developed by the State Revenue Office provides a rebate of up to a maximum of $260 yearly. The application form that needs to be submitted to your local water authority can be accessed at Apply for a water and sewerage rebate or by contacting the State Revenue Office on 9628 0301.

New schools, refurbishment or major building works

Projects of this nature will involve new connections, or upgrades in infrastructure used to supply electricity or natural gas. Where this is the case, schools should make early contact with the appropriate whole of Victorian Government electricity or natural gas supplier in order to understand both the nature and cost of this aspect of the project.

Maintenance (Reference 35)

The formula for Maintenance and Minor Works funding is completed in 3 steps.

Step 1 – Maintenance rates

The actual area of all curriculum buildings and covered ways on a school site is multiplied by a maintenance rate (in dollars per square metre). Buildings and spaces which are recorded as ‘no entitlement’ are excluded from this calculation. Spaces are typically recorded as ‘no entitlement’ if they were not originally constructed by the department, and are in excess to a school’s allocated facility area. For more detail on area allocation and excess space, see Capacity and Area Allocation.

The maintenance rate reflects the cost of maintenance activities which schools are required to perform on school buildings. The rate is tailored by building type:

• Permanent curriculum building
• Relocatable curriculum building
• Curriculum covered way

Step 2 – Modifiers

A set of modifiers is then applied to the maintenance rates developed in Step 1. These modifiers reflect specific conditions of a building or site which increase the cost of maintenance.

These modifiers include allowances for:

• building age
• building condition
• heritage buildings
• multi-storey buildings
• regional or rural location
• STEM facilities
• specialist schools
• hydropools
• lifts (this covers the ongoing maintenance of lifts, lift inspections are covered through the Annual Contracts allocation).

Step 3 – School allocation

The building-level maintenance allocations are added up (following the application of the modifiers in Step 2) to produce an overall maintenance allocation for each campus.

Then, the campus allocation is scaled for excess space (space in excess to a school’s allocated facility area).

All campus allocations are then proportionally adjusted to meet the overall maintenance budget available for that year.

All campuses also receive a set minimum allocation to cover basic operating costs.

For schools with more than one campus, the school allocation is the sum of all individual campus allocations.

The Student Resource Package (SRP) Maintenance and Minor Works grant is paid on a quarterly basis as part of the SRP budget cash grant.

Changes to a school's Maintenance and Minor Works funding allocation between calendar years and/or between Indicative and Confirmed allocation may have occurred due to:

• changes to building data
• changes to enrolment
• changes in relocatable buildings
• changes in the state-wide maintenance budget.

Funding allocation

All schools are encouraged to undertake proactive maintenance planning, using all available information, including routine maintenance guides and the results of condition assessments. It is vital that schools use their SRP Maintenance and Minor Works allocation for the active and ongoing maintenance of facilities and to prevent potential health and safety issues.

Schools that have already taken part in the Rolling Facilities Evaluation should be using the School Maintenance Plan portal to plan or AIMS, if your school has been migrated to AIMS, and schedule maintenance tasks. For further information, refer to School Maintenance Plans or contact vsba.asset.management@education.vic.gov.au

Expenditure should be allocated in CASES21 to the following:

• Sub Program Code: 6201 – Maintenance and Minor Works
• General Ledger Account Code: 86504 – Building Works.

SRP funding for Maintenance is calculated at the Indicative and Confirmed cycles and may be updated at the Revised cycle. Funding is allocated through cash funding.

Annual Contracts and Essential Safety Measures (ESM) (Reference 36)

Annual Contracts

The Annual Contracts allocation provides for the routine servicing, inspection, and testing of various items both essential and mandatory. These tasks are:

• Hygiene requirements (sanitary bins, nappy bins, sharps containers)
• Onsite Wastewater Management Systems (OWMS)
• Private Drinking Water (PDW)
• Lifts (if required)
• Termite inspections
• Heaters (for example, Type A and Type B Gas Appliances)
• Air conditioning
• Vertical school systems (i.e. centralised Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems)

Costs associated with repairs for any of the equipment serviced under this component are funded within the Maintenance portion of the Student Resource Package (SRP).

The allocation for SRP Annual Contracts includes funding for the servicing of existing annual contracts items mentioned above at eligible schools. This does not include funding for new annual contacts items (for example, funding is to service air conditioning units and not to purchase new air conditioning units).

Essential safety measures

Essential Safety Measures (ESM) are central to ensuring a safe and healthy environment in Victorian schools, and their maintenance is vital for the life, safety, and health of occupants over the lifetime of school buildings. When correctly maintained, ESM support students, staff and visitors to evacuate safely in the event of a fire.

In line with the department’s Essential Safety Measures Framework, schools are required to ensure ESM compliance which includes the inspection, testing, rectification maintenance (if required) and recordkeeping of measures.

Funding allocation

ACES SRP funding for any eligible school is allocated in order to cover costs of Annual Contracts and Essential Safety Measures. Adjustments to the ACES SRP allocation will be made on the basis of enrolment/entitlement area or the provision of new equipment.

Annual Contracts are calculated using a ‘bottom-up’ formula involving 7 base contracts (as outlined in the Annual Contracts section above, excluding the vertical school allocation). The formula used to calculate each of the individual contracts is either based on fixed tiers, or a specific funding amount per individual unit present at the school.

For each of the annual contract items listed below, a pre-determined dollar/unit rate (with both metro and regional rates) is multiplied by every unit recorded at the school:

• Onsite Wastewater Management Systems (OWMS) – the number of septic tank units
• Private Drinking Water (PDW) – the number of potable water drinking tanks
• Lifts - the number of passenger and/or document lifts
• Heating units – the number of furnace heating units and/or boiling water units
• Air conditioning units – including evaporative and refrigerative units

The following annual contract items are calculated based on the enrolment or building area. If the school’s enrolment/building area goes above a certain number, the school will receive an increased funding allowance:

• hygiene requirements (sanitary bins, nappy bins, sharps containers):
  • the allocation is a fixed amount for schools with less than 400 students, and an increased fixed amount for schools with greater than or equal to 400 students. The amounts are dependent on if the school is metro or rural based
• termite inspections:
  • the allocation is dependent on the school's total internal floor area. Schools with an area below 2,000 m² receive a fixed base amount. Schools with an area between 2,000 m² and 8,000 m² receive an additional $1,000 on top of the base amount. Schools with an area between 8,000 m² and 14,000 m² receive a further $1,000, with the allocation continuously increasing by $1,000 for every subsequent 6,000 m² threshold crossed
• instant hot water heating units:
  • the allocation is a fixed amount for schools with less than 400 students, and an increased fixed amount for schools with greater than or equal to 400 students. The amounts are dependent on if the school is metro or rural based.

Distinct rates have been established for metro versus regional schools to accommodate extra travel requirements by maintenance contractors.

A school’s eligibility to receive air conditioning funding is determined by the VSBA Heating and Cooling policy in conjunction with the NatHERS zones 20 and 27 as outlined on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme website.

Vertical schools receive a single additional payment to accommodate increased servicing costs associated with residing in a high-rise building.

ESM measures funding is calculated based on the size of the school in terms of both floor area (50% of allocation) and the number of buildings (50% of allocation).

Expenditure should be allocated in CASES21 to the following:

• Sub Program Code: 6401 – Annual Contracts Essential Safety
• General Ledger Account Code: 86500 – Security/Safety/Fire Prevention
• General Ledger Account Code: 86504 – Building works.

SRP funding for Annual Contracts and Essential Safety Measures is calculated at the Indicative and Confirmed cycles and may be updated at the Revised cycle. Funding is allocated through cash funding.

For further information, including how to acquit ESM obligations, refer to:

• Annual Contracts – contact vsba.annual.contracts@education.vic.gov.au or 03 7022 5800
• Essential Safety Measures Policy or contact essential.safety.measures@education.vic.gov.au

Workers’ Compensation (Reference 37)

Each school’s workers’ compensation budget allocation has been determined by applying an averaged claim cost rate for each school type to the remuneration of each school.

The amount charged against a school’s workers’ compensation budget allocation is based on the actual incurred costs of claims that have been lodged at the school during the 2022/2023 workers’ compensation premium calculation period from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2021.

If the total cost of these claims is greater than a school’s workers’ compensation budget allocation, the school is required to pay all or part of the difference, capped at 0.5% of its remuneration up to a maximum of $25,000.

Savings capped at 0.5% of remuneration, up to a maximum of $25,000 accrue to those schools with claims costs less than their workers’ compensation budget allocations. Full 2023 Workers’ Compensation budget allocations, charge out amounts and end of year balance details are in the Workers’ Compensation Summary Statement.

Notes

Exempt category claims

The following categories of claims are eligible for exemption from the calculation of a school’s 2024 Student Resource Package (SRP) Workers’ Compensation cost:

• Workers’ compensation claims that have injury dates prior to 1 July 2000.
• Workers’ compensation claims from staff who work across a number of schools.
• Workers’ compensation claims accepted in error by the department’s WorkSafe agent, Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd.
• Workers’ compensation claims arising from participation in the Teacher Games.

Consideration will also be given to exempting schools from the costs of claims:

• from staff who have been the subject of compassionate transfer because of health reasons
• from principals and other staff whose claims are associated with unsatisfactory performance or discipline proceedings.

Schools that have claims in these categories lodged over the period from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2022, or who wish to seek an exemption, should notify the Return to Work and Compensation team at workers.compensation.corporate@education.vic.gov.au by Friday 30 June 2023.

Schools may request the school's workers’ compensation cost be reviewed by the Workers’ Compensation Claims Advisory Service. Schools should provide details of the circumstances to be taken into consideration as part of the request. The Return to Work and Compensation team will advise schools of the results of these reviews.

Resources

School student resource package (SRP) interactive site (staff login required)

To see budget and planner reports for principals and delegates, login to student resource package

Current SRP guidance

• 2023 student resource package indicative guide (PDF)
• 2023 student resource package indicative guide (DOCX)
• 2022 student resource package revised (VGSA) guide (PDF)
• 2022 student resource package revised (VGSA) guide (DOCX)

Contract cleaning schedule

Contract cleaning schedule – spreadsheet (XLS) — this sets out the ‘cleanable area’, which is informed by a school’s student population, used to calculate a school’s budget.

Contacts for Whole of Victorian Government energy contracts

Electricity

• Red Energy (for schools consuming >40 MWh pa)
  For billing enquiries please contact Laura Wilkin/Taimur Khan — email: business@redenergy.com.au or on phone: 1300 322 067
• AGL (for schools consuming <40 MWh pa)
  For billing enquiries please contact vicgov@agl.com.au or phone 1300 793 477

Natural gas

• Origin Energy is the current provider under a Whole of Victorian Government contract.
  For transfer, billing and new connection enquiries please contact VicGovernment@originenergy.com.au or phone 1800 319 299

Water

• Schools Water Efficiency Program
  There is no government contract in place for water. Schools are encouraged to join the schools water efficiency program to manage water costs

• Rebate eligibility — application forms
  Application form for the State Revenue Office (SRO) rebate — or contact the State Revenue Office on 9628 0301 — These forms are to be used by schools seeking a SRO managed rebate on their fixed charges for water and sewer of up to $260 yearly (self-supply schools are ineligible)