Tuesday, 30 August 2022

Ministers statements: kindergarten funding

Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep) (12:03): I am pleased to advise the house that the Andrews Labor government is delivering hundreds of new kinder places for families in Moreland. We are co-contributing up to $10.7 million towards 11 new and expanded kindergartens across the City of Moreland, creating up to 329 new kinder places across the area by 2029. I had the pleasure of making this announcement last week alongside my colleague the member for Pascoe Vale in the other place, Lizzie Blandthorn MP, who I know is very excited about this huge investment in kinder, as well as the deputy Moreland mayor, Lambros Tapinos, and local Labor candidates Anthony Cianflone for Pascoe Vale, Kathleen Matthews-Ward for Broadmeadows and Mike Williams for Brunswick.

This is the fourth Building Blocks partnership announced by the Andrews Labor government in support of the rollout of our landmark three- and four-year-old kinder reforms, ensuring quality kinder infrastructure is put in place where it is needed the most. To date, in addition to this Moreland partnership, we have announced Building Blocks partnerships with Wyndham, Hobsons Bay and Melton, representing a total investment of $102.8 million by our government towards building and expanding kindergartens across these growing parts of our state as part of these partnerships. Building Blocks partnerships are critical to our nation-leading kindergarten reforms because they are all about providing local families and communities with certainty that they will have access to the very best kinder facilities for their children in the years ahead.