Brindabella Christian College: finding a new owner is its only option, say Administrators. Photo: Region.
The ACT Government will introduce urgent legislation to ensure any handover of the beleaguered Brindabella Christian College to a new owner is seamless after administrators raised a previously unidentified issue with changing a non-government school’s registration.
The Lyneham school’s board called in Deloitte administrators after not being able to pay staff and with the Tax Office seeking windup action over an $8 million debt.
Administrators say the only option to save the school is to find a new owner, and it has opened an expression of interest process to do so.
Today (8 April), the government will introduce to the Legislative Assembly the Education Amendment Bill 2025 as an urgent bill that would amend the Education Act 2004 to address this issue so the College can continue to operate through a transition period.
The bill will be debated on Thursday.
Education and Early Childhood Minister Yvette Berry said that under the current legislation, transferring a school’s registration from one proprietor to another would trigger a 60-day public consultation period, but this would mean funding would dry up, and the College would not be able to operate.
“The financial position of the school is such that an urgent transfer is required and the administrators are progressing the sale of the school as an urgent priority in order to ensure continuity of education for more than 1000 students,” Ms Berry said.
“However, the current situation with Brindabella Christian College is such that observing this full 60-day period would likely mean that the school’s finances are exhausted, resulting in closure of the school and a significant negative impact on the students, staff and families of this school community.
“I have said many times throughout this process that I don’t want to see this school close – that’s why we are taking this action.”
If passed, the amendment would give the minister the authority to reduce the 60-day public consultation period when a non-government school requests a change in their registration when it is reasonably necessary to do so.
Ms Berry said that in the case of Brindabella, this amendment would enable the prompt transfer of the school to a new proprietor with the least impact on school operations.
However, the public consultation period could not be waived entirely, and 60 days would remain the default period.
Ms Berry said that in extreme circumstances such as this, the amendment would enable a shortened period, for example, when time was critical to prevent the closure of a school.
“To be very clear, the reduction in consultation could only be considered in circumstances where the non-government school has requested a change to their registration,” she said.
“Without this urgent legislative intervention, the future of Brindabella Christian College would be at significant risk. We must take this action now in order to give the best chance of continuity for students, staff, families and the community.”
Brindabella Christian College owes $20.8 million to more than 200 creditors, according to the creditor’s report, including the Tax Office and its financier, NAB.
Administrators have secured funding arrangements with NAB and the ACT and federal governments to keep the school going as it searches for a buyer.
