BULOKE Shire Council will receive more than $1 million in funding to build a new early learners centre in Sea Lake.
Located on the grounds of Tyrrell College, Sea Lake Kindergarten will include three and four-year-old kindergarten, childcare and maternal child health facilities.
Buloke Shire Council is one of the first council’s in Victoria to benefit from the state government’s $882 million roll-out of universal three-year-old kinder.
Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp announced the $1.152m funding through the Victorian Government’s children’s facilities capital program (CFCP) last week.
Buloke Shire Council chief executive officer Anthony Judd said the fully-integrated early years centre would reduce pressure on the existing facility.
“The current conditions will be cramped in the future with the introduction of three-year-old (kinder) and put pressure on childcare in the existing facility,” Mr Judd said.
“This will ensure there is room for childcare for the quality programs that Mallee Track (Health and Community Service) run.”
Mr Judd said having the combined services in the one place was important for the community.
The facility will be built in two existing classrooms at Tyrrell College that are currently being unused.
“We’re retrofitting them so there’s a fairly significant amount of work that needs to go into that, as well as landscaping, a playground and connection to car parks,” Mr Judd said.
He said placing the centre on the school grounds may have assisted council in securing the funds.
“The Department of Education have a policy of bringing them all together,” he said.
“We were incentivised by the state, and it’s right next to the community library so there will be some advantages there.”
Mr Judd said the council expected the infrastructure to be up and running in 2021.
“I’d say it will be built in the latter part of next year,” he said
“We’ve got more work to do on the design to ensure it has the needs for everyone, so I would hope that our ambition is that it’s occupied in term one in 2021.”
He said with three-year-old kindergarten rolling out from January next year, enrolments would be taken for the current facility which will operate until the new one is completed.
Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp said this was the first time that CFCP had included funding for facilities offering three-year-old kindergarten from next year.
“I’m delighted that Sea Lake Kindergarten is receiving funding to upgrade their facilities — ensuring Sea Lake children can continue to get the most out of their time at kinder and attend great local services,” Mr Gepp said.
“Victoria is leading the way in Education reform in Australia. We are giving every child the best possible start in life to learn and thrive — regardless of where they live.”
“I am thrilled that we are investing in local Sea Lake Kindergarten ahead of the three-year-old kindergarten rollout next year.”
Buloke is one of six council’s starting three-year-old kindergarten in 2020.
By 2022, the three-year-old kindergarten program will be rolled out statewide with access to up to 15 hours of funded kindergarten programs.
Boosting employment in education, the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care have been added to the list of free Technical and Further Education (TAFE) courses.
Three-year-old kindergarten will also be available in Wycheproof from next year.
