Funding, partnerships and the future of school delivery

Johnstaff’s David Russo, Victoria’s Principal, recently attended the Property Council of Australia’s Education State Briefing, joining industry leaders to explore the future of school delivery.

The session brought together leaders across government, property, and education to unpack the challenges and opportunities shaping Victoria’s education infrastructure.

A key theme: how Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can help meet rising demand across our fastest-growing communities.

From Dave’s perspective, three themes stood out:

• New funding models arecritical: demand for school infrastructure continues to accelerate
• Collaboration isnon-negotiable: alignment across government, planners and education providersis essential
• It’s not just about new schools: investment inexisting assets must keep pace with evolving learning

Thanks to the Property Council of Australia and the keynote speakers for the insights.

As Melbourne grows, so must our approach. Shifting from simply delivering schools to delivering the right infrastructure, in the right place, at the right time.

At Johnstaff, we’re seeing this firsthand. In Victoria alone, we’ve delivered over 20 new schools for the VSBA and more than 10 private school projects in recent years, with more underway, supporting both government and non-government sectors to meet growing demand.