Already the Inquiry has visited South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria, visiting schools which have seen recent state government investment as well as those that have unmet infrastructure needs and maintenance backlogs. These school visits are enabling the inquiry to investigate how targeted investment can deliver world-class learning environments for every student.

However, the Crisafulli Government has denied the request for the inquiry to visit Queensland schools, the Education Minister has not responded to our invitation to meet and the Education Department rejected the invitation. This is in stark contrast to other states visited, where governments understand the importance of this issue.

The inquiry still went ahead in Brisbane with a series of roundtable discussions meeting with principals, teachers, and community organisations to identify practical solutions and long-term priorities for increased school infrastructure investment in Queensland.

The Brisbane roundtables form part of a nationwide consultation process that will inform recommendations to governments on how to deliver equitable, future-focused public school infrastructure across Australia.

The refusal of the Queensland Government to allow the inquiry access to state schools is incredibly disappointing but will not stop the inquiry from doing its work, or from speaking to teachers, principals and education stakeholders in Queensland about how collectively we can improve state school infrastructure.