- Published:
- Tuesday 22 March 2022
The Andrews Labor Government is giving families in Hobsons Bay more kindergarten options, with a new partnership with the Hobsons Bay City Council to deliver better kinder facilities and more places for kids in the city’s booming southwest.
Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt today announced the Labor Government will co-contribute up to $5.8 million towards three new and expanded kindergartens under the Building Blocks Partnership, as part of its landmark Three-Year-Old Kindergarten reform.
This first stage includes the delivery of an extra 168 funded kindergarten places, operational by 2025. Kindergarten projects will be supported in Newport, Altona and Seabrook.
There is also in-principle support for a further state government contribution of up to $2 million for one more new kindergarten in the City of Hobsons Bay, to be delivered from 2026. The projects will deliver more than 270 funded kindergarten places in total, in the City of Hobsons Bay by 2029.
Building Blocks Partnerships build on joint state government and council supply and demand forecasts via Kindergarten Infrastructure and Services Plans and agree funding for a forward pipeline of kindergarten projects, providing funding certainty for new and expanded kindergartens years in advance.
The first Building Blocks Partnership was made with Wyndham City Council in September 2021 followed by another partnership with Melton City Council in February 2022, outlining specific projects and funding via a streamlined grants process that builds on the Kindergarten Infrastructure and Services Plans’ supply and demand forecasts.
In an Australian first, the Labor Government is investing almost $5 billion over this decade to deliver a full 15 hours per week of universally funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
To find out more about Building Blocks visit schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au.