School's out, but Plenary Schools is in for education PPP

Allens has advised the Plenary Schools consortium on its winning tender for the Queensland Schools Project.

Under the deal, which reached financial close in December 2013, Plenary Schools will partially finance, design, build, maintain and provide facilities management services to eight primary schools and two high schools in southeast Queensland's high-growth corridor.

The construction phase will be completed between now and 2019, with ongoing facilities management and maintenance services being provided to the end of December 2043.

The 10 schools will cater for about 10,000 students across Caboolture, Pimpama, Burpengary, Pallara, Ripley Valley, Springfield, Griffin, Bellbird Park and Redbank Plains, with construction of a new primary school for Pimpama and a high school in Burpengary due to commence in January 2014.

'We are pleased to have assisted the Plenary Schools consortium to reach this milestone,' Lead Partner David Donnelly said.

'After advising the lenders on the Southeast Queensland Schools PPP in 2009 (a project that enabled the construction of seven schools and won Asia Pacific Project Finance PPP Deal of the Year), we were pleased to work alongside the Plenary Schools consortium on the continued enhancement of Queensland's educational assets.

'Queensland is a strong market for PPPs and infrastructure in general, and we have enjoyed working with the consortium and the Government on this significant project.

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