A public high school in Broken Hill will be torn down and completely rebuilt after a severe mould infestation, possibly spread through the air conditioning system, was discovered by a staff member in January.
An independent hygienist report released on Tuesday said the mould issue at Willyama High School in Far West NSW was so extreme, the building would have to be stripped down to its bricks to be safe again.
Scott Warren from School Infrastructure NSW said even then, the recurrence of mould growth would still be “likely”.
“Looking at the degree of remediation that would be required… a decision was made that the school will be demolished and rebuilt,” he said.
Human pathogens which can cause disease, including Aspergillus and Penicillium, were also found in the building.
It has been categorised as a stage three mould infestation, which is the most severe.
Combination of carpet cleaning, air conditioning vents and wet weather to blame
The report found routine carpet cleaning and a lack of natural ventilation were likely causes of the outbreak.
The air conditioning system was turned on by a staff member a few days after the carpets were cleaned at the end of last year.
“An increase in moisture from wet carpets and mechanical HVAC (air conditioning system being) operational, coupled with the lack of natural ventilation’ following routine carpet cleaning…[created moisture inside the building]” the report said.
A number of large storms and considerable rainfall in the area also contributed.
Broken Hill received four times its mean rainfall in January over just six days.
The infestation likely started in a ground floor music room and spread throughout the building through the air conditioning vents.
Lead paint and asbestos was also found during the mould inspection.
The report was critical of ‘overcrowding and inadequate storage facilities’ in the school, which did not allow for routine cleaning.
‘[This allowed] organic debris to accumulate and thereby provide a potential growing medium,” it said.
NSW Education ‘not considering’ merging two schools
The NSW Education Department maintained it was not considering merging Willyama High and Broken Hill’s other local school, Broken Hill High.
From term two, all students will be based at a temporary school made of demountables at Broken Hill High.
Consultation with staff and students will begin by the end of the first term.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car assured staff and students the NSW government was committed to a full rebuild.
“While today’s news is not ideal, I want to assure the people of Broken Hill that we will be with you for as long as it takes to rebuild this school,” she said.
Broken Hill mayor Tom Kennedy said it was a relief to finally have clarity.
“The town can now move forward knowing that we’re likely to continue to have two schools, which is really important to the future of the city,” he said.
But he warned the government would need to remain open to change if the temporary school on the Broken Hill High site does not work for the community.
“People also need to consider the demountables are on the Broken Hill site, which means the education outcomes for the Broken Hill site is also greatly affected, by having an additional 600 odd students,” he said.
Mr Kennedy said the council was hoping the re-build would take about two-and-a-half years.
“We’re no where near the position where we will be looking at planning at this stage, so you’ve still got a fair bit of time before you get to that stage,” he said.
Mr Warren said authorities were “moving as quickly as is responsible” to start the re-build.
“This needs to occur as quickly as it can, but it’s at least a couple of years [away],’ he said.
