2. Question No. 2—EducationKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 2—Education2. KIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour) to the Minister of Education: What steps is the Government taking to bring forward education infrastructure projects to help stimulate regional economies?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): Today the Government announced upgrades for a further 600 small or remote State schools and kura. This is an additional $160 million property improvement programme that will begin rolling out this year. The upgrades include the installation of LED lights acoustic panelling ceiling insulation and other things in our small and remote schools. We want students to be learning in warm classrooms we want teachers to have workplaces where the noise levels are more controllable and we want schools to be able to save on their power bills so that they can invest in learning. So this initiative is part of the Government's programme to bring forward infrastructure projects to create and support jobs for businesses and reboot our local economies. The list of schools who will benefit from the programme will be announced by the Ministry of Education on their website this week and every school on the list will also be contacted.Marama Davidson: How many schools will benefit from the first wave of the Sustainability Contestable Fund?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Very good news—today the Government has announced that 53 schools have been successful in the first wave of the sustainability fund with $2.5 million being spent on projects that will help them save money and reduce emissions. Nearly half of the 53 approved applications were for solar panels on schools. Other projects include things like rainwater collection water conservation initiatives and different ways to compost and recycle. The sustainability fund will open again for a second round of applications on 22 June where a further $2.5 million will be allocated to further sustainability projects in schools.Kiritapu Allan: What construction is resuming in schools across the country over the next few days?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Now that we're in alert level 3 construction work will be restarting this week in almost 250 schools around the country. As well as this construction will start on another $100 million worth of school property projects. These include things like the major redevelopment to address weathertightness and other building issues at Flaxmere College in Hastings; six new roll-growth classrooms each at Clendon Park School and Rowandale School in Manurewa; replacing fire-damaged buildings at Westland High School; a new 10-classroom block at Beachlands School in Hunua; the rebuild of Banks Avenue School in Christchurch; and the redevelopment of Hagley College in Christchurch Maniototo Area School in Ranfurly and Ngaruawahia High School.Kiritapu Allan: What support is the Government giving the construction industry on existing school property projects after we went into level 4?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Government acknowledges the difficulty some building and construction players experienced during the COVID level 4 lockdown. The Ministry of Education is temporarily lifting its retention requirements which releases an extra $23 million earlier in the process to help relieve some of the financial strain construction firms are under. The release will cover 246 projects at 237 schools across the country and will help to ease the cash flow and go some way to reducing the impact of the lockdown on those firms.