Naming and opening of departmental assets procedure

Audience

Department-wide

Purpose

This procedure outlines the requirements, responsibilities and processes for Department of Education (the department) staff when naming departmental assets and opening departmental facilities.

Overview

The Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) (the Act), states the Minister may name, and change the name of, a state educational institution. The department has responsibility for the administration of built assets including the naming, and changing the name of:

• state educational institutions (including the provision of temporary names during planning and construction phase)
• school precincts and school buildings
• sporting grounds and sporting facilities.

Schools and Early Childhood Education Centres (ECECs) may be required to hold an official opening or recognition ceremony for major capital works projects.

The Minister must be consulted regarding openings for significant capital works projects in schools and ECECs.

Australian Government funding of capital works projects usually requires an official opening or recognition ceremony within a specified time of the project’s completion.

Official openings enable:

• the public celebration of new and refurbished departmental facilities
• contributions of interested parties to be acknowledged
• compliance with Australian Government funding requirements.

Responsibilities

Principals

• Undertake community consultation when considering the name, or name change, of a state educational institution (i.e. school or centre) or a precinct, built asset or other assets belonging to the department.
• Apply naming conventions when considering the name, or name change.
• Accurately record the consultation process and outcome.
• Recommend a proposed name to the Regional Director.
• Prepare and submit a Ministerial briefing note for the Minister’s approval, if the proposed name applies to a state educational institution.
• Approve the name, or name change, of a precinct, built asset or other assets under their management, unless the proposed name involves the name of a serving or former public servant.
• Lead communication on the school name and collaborate with Strategic Communication and Engagement regarding the official school name announcement.
• Notify the Regional Director and make all arrangements associated with official openings.

Early Childhood (EC) Directors

• Notify the Regional Director and make all arrangements associated with official openings.

Regional Directors

• Collaborate with the Executive Director, Regional Operations and the Principal to review the summary of local context.
• Engage with the Principal of a new school soon after appointment to outline the requirements, responsibilities, consultations and processes when naming assets and opening facilities.
• Approve the name, or name change, of a precinct, built asset or other assets, other than the name of a state school or centre, if the proposed name involves the name of a serving or former public servant.
• Endorse a Ministerial briefing note for the Minister’s approval, if the proposed name applies to a state educational institution.
• Review and endorse the media releases in preparation for the official school name announcement.
• Provide advice and liaise with the Principal or EC Directors regarding arrangements for official openings.

Executive Director, Strategy and Service Planning

• Assign a temporary name to a new state educational institution during the planning stage.
• At the time of Principal appointment, provide a summary of local context to the Regional Director which includes considerations of location, geographic, heritage, community and First Nations people.

Executive Director, Regional Operations

• Provide advice to the Principal regarding asset naming conventions.
• Provide advice as part of a regional infrastructure team including naming of new school sites, precincts, built assets or other assets once the school is operational.

Director-General

• Consult with the Minister on the proposed name, or name change, of a state educational institution.
• The Director-General’s Office to facilitate the official school name announcement.
• The Director-General’s Office to arrange for the production of a commemorative plaque for unveiling on the day of the official opening.

Minister for Education

• Approve the name, or name change, of a state educational institution.

Process

Naming a departmental asset

Figure 1 Process of naming a departmental asset

1. Consider naming conventions

• The Executive Director, Strategy and Service Planning to:
  • assign a temporary name to a new state educational institution during the planning stage. The temporary name must incorporate the type of built asset and the street and/or suburb names of the site (e.g. New State High School in <location>).
  • provide a summary of local context to the Regional Director which includes considerations of location, geographic, heritage, community and First Nations people.
• The Regional Director to ensure that the summary of local context is part of a co-design process with First Nations community by liaising with regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teams and the Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.
• The Regional Director to collaborate with the Executive Director, Regional Operations and the Principal to review the summary of local context. Local context is described as: 
  • who is the developer or land holder
  • what we know about the local area including geographical features
  • any cultural heritage items discovered during the planning phase.
• The Principal in consultation with the Regional Director must name the state education institution prior to its opening. Naming, or name changes, may also occur following a change of circumstances, for example, the amalgamation of state educational institutions or to relocate the school within the state schooling system.

The following naming conventions must be considered when naming a state educational institution or a precinct, built asset or other asset.

State educational institutions:

Promotion of location or identity

• State educational institution names must promote the location or identity while reflecting local and community considerations. Appropriate names include:
  • locality or other names of local geographical significance, for example ‘Brisbane Central’
  • names of local flora or fauna
  • local First Nations people names or co-naming options (e.g. X State School on Turrbal and Jagera Country)
  • names reflecting cultural or heritage significance.
• Inappropriate names include:
  • names of a local commercial, residential or retail development
  • names of local development areas.

Inclusion of ‘State’ in title

• In addition, all state educational institutions must follow one of the below naming conventions:
  • ‘State School’ or ‘State Primary School’ extensions must be used for primary schools teaching Prep to Year 6
  • ‘State High School’ or ‘State Secondary School’ extensions must be used for secondary schools teaching Year 7 to Year 12
  • ‘State Special School’ extension must be used for special schools
  • ‘State School’ extension may be used for schools teaching Prep to Year 12 or Prep to Year 10
  • another name approved by the Minister.

Precinct, built asset or other assets:

Promotion of location or identity

• Precinct, built asset or other assets must promote the location or identity while reflecting local and community considerations. Appropriate names include:
  • locality or other local names of geographical significance
  • names of local flora or fauna
  • names of local First Nation peoples
  • names reflecting cultural or heritage significance
  • name of a person who:
    • achieved outstanding success
    • has a notable connection to the built asset
    • is widely known and respected within broad sections of the local community
    • made outstanding contributions to the state school education system or the community in general
    • has community support and consent has been granted for the use of their name.

2. Conduct consultation

State educational institutions

• The Principal must consult with local First Nations people as part of the consultation process. Consideration should be given to:
  • local First Nations people names reflecting cultural significance
  • potential for First Nations people co-naming
  • consideration of other ways to capture First Nations people names as part of the process including sporting house names, artworks, school mascots and logos in line with the Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Protocol.
• During consultation for the naming, or changing the name, of a state educational institution the Principal:
  • must consult with a broad range of stakeholders including, but not limited to:
    • the Regional Director and Executive Director, Regional Operations
    • parents/future parents, students/future students of a new/existing state educational institution
    • local First Nations people
    • staff/future staff, including relevant union/professional association representation
    • local school community representative bodies including Parents and Citizens’ Association (P&C) and school council
    • neighbouring services/schools and, in the case of secondary schools, 'feeder' primary schools and in the case of primary schools, ‘feeder’ early years services
    • relevant elected local, state and federal representatives
  • must ensure that commercial interests do not impact or influence the consultation process
  • must ensure consultation occurs in an open and transparent manner, which may include conducting the consultation in stages to identify a proposed/recommended name
  • must ensure a stage of consultation occurs as early as possible, with submissions accepted for a period of four to six weeks
  • must ensure consultation occurs via both digital and traditional communications means and may include, but are not limited to:
    • a series of social media posts that link to an online survey
    • small news articles on the school website that link to an online survey
    • online discussion forum
    • hard copy survey distributed to the school’s targeted community
    • flyers and posters on community notice boards and in local businesses
    • face to face meetings and focus groups
  • the information provided should:
    • be in an easily understandable format
    • use plain language
    • clarify the key issues and local context being considered for the name.

Precinct, built asset or other assets

• Consultation for the naming, or name change, of a precinct, built asset or other assets is to be determined by the Principal and should be broadly based to ensure community support for the proposed name.

3. Seek approval of recommended name

State educational institutions

• The Principal must obtain written evidence of consultation with key stakeholders (i.e. P&C, school council, local First Nations people representatives or local, state and federal representatives) in relation to the proposed name.
• The Principal must provide to the Regional Director details of the proposed name and full details of the consultation process undertaken in determining the proposed name.
• The Principal and Regional Director will use this information to prepare a Ministerial briefing note seeking approval from the Minister for the name, or name change, of the state educational institution.
• The Director-General will consult with the Minister to approve the proposed name, or name change, of a state educational institution.

Official school name announcements

• The Office of the Director-General will facilitate the official school name announcement and send through a formal request for individual media releases to be prepared by Strategic Communication and Engagement.
• The Minister’s Office will approve the final media releases which are issued on the Queensland Government Media Statements website and also posted on the Minister’s social media pages.

Precinct, built asset or other assets

• The Principal will approve the name, or name change, of a precinct, built asset or other assets, unless the proposed name involves the name of a serving or former public servant.
• The Regional Director will approve the name, or name change, of a precinct, built asset or other assets, if the proposed name involves the name of a serving or former public servant.
• The Principal and Regional Director should consult, if considered of public interest, with the Office of the Director-General on the official announcements of a precinct, built asset or other assets.

Opening a departmental asset

Figure 2 Process of opening a departmental asset

1. Notifications

• The Office of the Director-General will:
  • liaise with the Principal or EC Director to advise that the Minister’s Office are preparing to hold an official opening
  • notify the Principal, EC Director, Regional Director and Infrastructure Services Division once a suitable date and time has been set for the official opening ceremony, which normally occurs during Term 3 or 4
  • request a full suite of materials Strategic Communication and Engagement including a Ministerial briefing note, function profile and media materials.

2. Make arrangements

State educational institutions

• The Office of the Director-General will work with the Principal or EC Director:
  • to make all arrangements associated with an opening of a departmental facility
  • to organise a commemorative plaque and stand through the region, approximately three weeks prior to the event.
• The Principal or EC Director to:
  • populate the function profile to include a run order of the ceremony and invite key stakeholders (i.e. P&C representatives, First Nations people representatives and staff)
  • organise the ceremony, which could include a welcome to country, national anthem, master of ceremonies, student performances and speeches.
• For State Government funded capital works projects with Australian Government contribution:
  • the Minister, or their representative, officially opens the project. An official opening must be held within seven months of completion and the relevant Australian Government Minister, or their representative, is invited by the Minister’s Office to attend and has an option of making a speech.
• For Australian Government funded capital works projects:
  • the relevant Australian Government Minister, or their representative, is invited by the Minister’s Office to attend and has options of making a speech and officially opening the facility.

Precinct, built asset or other assets

• The Principal or EC Director to make all arrangements associated with an opening of a precinct, built asset or other assets.
• The Principal and EC Director should consult, if considered of public interest, with the Office of the Director-General on the official opening of a precinct, built asset or other assets.

3. Conduct the official opening 

State educational institutions

• The Minister’s Office to prepare the school opening function profile for the Minister, or their representative.
• The Minister, or their representative, attends the official opening, which may include touring the facility, making a speech, unveiling the commemorative plaque and officially opening the facility.

Definitions

Legislation

• Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) chapter 2, part 2

Delegations/Authorisations

• Nil

Other resources

• Guidelines for Queensland Government plaques 
• Indigenous cultural and intellectual property protocol 
• Code of conduct for the Queensland public service 
• ICT asset management procedure 

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

3.0 Naming of departmental assets procedure