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The West Australian government is predicted to have spent almost $100 million more than forecast on transportable classrooms by the end of the financial year as it struggles to accommodate rising student numbers at the state’s public schools.
The 2026-27 budget shows the state government expects to spend more than $350 million over the forward estimates on increasing capacity as enrolment demand grows.
More than $170 million is expected to have been spent on transportables by the end of this financial year, despite the government only budgeting about $71 million.
Education Minister Sabine Winton was questioned over those figures during budget estimates on Wednesday night, where she confirmed the state’s schools now had more than 4000 transportable buildings – 3166 of which were classrooms.
That number is nearly 5 per cent higher than the figure released by the state government in August 2024. In 2025, 159 new transportable classrooms were added to schools.
“I have talked previously about the continued and ongoing need for transportables as an important part of the mix in providing facilities for schools around the state,” Winton told the estimates hearing.
“We know that more and more people want to live in Western Australia, and we are committed to meeting the needs of our growing communities.
“We also need to remember that modern transportables are of a high quality. They are not only a cost-effective way, but also a rapid way in which we can meet the rapid increase in capacity that is required in some of our schools, particularly as those enrolment demands change.
“They are an important tool that have always been used alongside other things to manage enrolment and demand, including … investing in our infrastructure program to make sure that we have the facilities that our growing suburbs need.”
A total of $53 million has been set aside in the budget for additional classroom capacity in the 2026-27 financial year.
Opposition Education Minister Liam Staltari told this masthead reaching 4000 transportables in WA schools was “a grim milestone”.
“Overcrowded schools are being forced to use transportables for classrooms, admin blocks and even bathrooms,” he said.
“Transportables have a role to play, but this over-reliance on them is out of control and the huge blowout in spending on transportables makes clear this is far from over.
“The government neglected our schools for years and is now playing catch-up, and our students and teachers are paying the price.”
In parliament, Staltari also quizzed the minister on why the spend in the budget had been labelled as “additional classroom capacity” for the first time, and not been left under the old label of “transportables”, after confirming they were the same thing.
He accused the government of trying to play down the amount – a statement Winton rejected.
“I know where the member is trying to go with this question,” she said.
“This will provide for exactly what it says in the budget item, and that is additional classroom capacity. It is a significant amount of money.
“I dismiss the suggestion that I am trying to hide or not reflect the investment that we make in that area of infrastructure.”
Holly Thompson is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in education and the environment.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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