Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf and Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards will turn the first sod on the new $5.5M Marong Kindergarten.
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the new kinder will help respond to unmet demand for three and four-year-old kindergarten places in the region by providing a 99-place kinder with Maternal and Child Health/Allied Health rooms.
"Both the City and the Victorian Government are committed to meeting the demand for kindergarten place in Greater Bendigo and to partnering together to build this important infrastructure for local families," Cr Metcalf said.
"The new building has been designed using environmentally sustainable building standards and will be fully accessible.
"It will feature three kinder rooms, two allied health rooms which could be used by maternal and child health and other health services, staff facilities, outdoor play area, kitchen facilities and bathroom amenities.
"The construction of the kindergarten is the first stage of a two-stage project to establish a community hub complex in Marong bordered by High, Torrens and Cathcart Streets.
"Stage two of the project, which is currently unfunded and may take several years to deliver, plans to provide flexible community multi-purpose buildings and spaces.
"Construction of the kindergarten is expected to be completed in 2025 with a service provider to operate the new kinder expected to be appointed later this year."
The new kindergarten is being constructed with $5.5M in funding from the Victorian Government. The contract for the build was awarded to Franklin and Walsh Builders and has created 72 local jobs.
