The Victorian Government is partnering with Golden Plains Shire Council to deliver a multimillion-dollar pipeline of early childhood infrastructure projects, giving local children access to world-class facilities close to home.
On Tuesday 12 September, Minister for Early Childhood Education and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt announced a Building Blocks Partnership with Golden Plains Shire, which includes up to $5 million for two modular kindergarten projects, creating approximately 140 additional early education places from early 2024.
The partnership includes an expansion to the Haddon Pre-School Centre and an expansion of the sessional kindergarten facilities at the Bannockburn Family Services Centre. These two projects are in addition to the delivery of a new kindergarten to open at Napoleons Primary School next year.
Golden Plains Shire Council Mayor Cr Brett Cunningham welcomed the support of the Victorian Government to expand kindergarten programs in Golden Plains Shire.
"Peri Urban Councils like Golden Plains would not be able to meet community expectations without the support of the Victorian State Government, and we thank them for their ongoing funding commitments to expand these crucial kindergarten places," he said.
"Golden Plains has one of the highest percentages of young children per capita in Victoria, and this announcement is music to the ears of the many young families moving into our Shire.
"Following the development of Council’s Kindergarten Infrastructure Services Plan, Council Officers have been working in partnership with the Department of Education on the Best Start, Best Life Reform.
"This partnership is the accumulation of a lot of hard work and commitment by staff and ensures Golden Plains Shire residents have ongoing access to quality early childhood education, delivered through funded three-year-old and four-year-old Kindergarten (including Pre-Prep), now and into the future," Cr Cunningham said.
"Both the Haddon and Bannockburn communities will be the beneficiaries of today’s announcement, the first stage of a pipeline of projects, and we expect children to be enrolled in these new and upgraded facilities in early 2024."