By Corey Everitt
The Cardinia Shire Council is calling for the State Government to take control of funding more kindergartens in the shire and to prioritise centres on school sites to provide easy access for the burgeoning region and its young families.
In the latest council meeting on Monday 15 April, Cardinia Shire councillors considered an extensive report on the future development of childcare in the area amid the ongoing rollout of free childcare in the State Government’s Best Start Best Life reforms.
The State Government has been working to meet the increased demand with two major childcare centres set to be completed this year in Pakenham and Officer, as well as upgrades to existing kindergartens in Nar Nar Goon, Bayles and Avonsleigh.
For the council, a key factor of the report was to see more development of kindergartens attached to existing or future school sites to provide an easier ‘integrated service delivery’ for young families. This is called the kindergartens on school sites (KOSS) model.
Kooweerup Primary School recently implemented a kindergarten on site; the council said Gembrook and Bunyip were the next possible sites for this development.
The report said the council seeks a partnership with the State Government to deliver the infrastructure for the reforms, but also say they should fund the infrastructure need for the reforms ‘fully’ and cover any shortfall.
The redevelopment of Cardinia kindergartens will be extensive. The council showed that of the 27 kindergartens they own and manage, 16 of these facilities are between 34 and almost 40 years old. Only two of these 16 have had a redevelopment.
The report stated that the council spent an average of $337,000 per year over the last five years on reactive and routine maintenance across these kindergartens.
“Currently Cardinia Shire does not operate kindergartens, but there seems to be a lot of responsibility put on to Cardinia Shire Council on delivery of this service,” Cr Radford said.
“This is seeking that the State Government assist with their responsibility, so that we can ensure that all children get the benefit that kinder provides.”
The State Government’s Best Start Best Life reforms is a $14 billion program to provide free kindergarten across the state.
The reforms aim to implement a universal free 30-hours for four-year-olds and 15-hours for three-year-olds which require a vast expansion of kindergarten infrastructure that includes 50 new early learning centres to be established.
