Families will soon have kindergarten options again in Mount Dandenong and Kalorama, with Council supporting the rebuild of a new facility on the Mount Dandenong Primary school site.
Council will work with the Department of Education, Yarra Ranges Kindergartens and the Mount Dandenong Primary School to co-locate kindergarten services at the primary school, to re-establish the kindergarten years after the original building was destroyed in the 2021 storms.
On Tuesday, 23 May, Councillors voted to endorse the relocation and redevelopment of Mount Dandenong Kindergarten to the Mt Dandenong Primary School site with a Kinder Plus model, which also provides spaces for playgroups, along with the possibility of services like Maternal and Child Health or other support services.
Streeton Ward Councillor, Andrew Fullagar, said community members had been anxiously awaiting this decision.
"We know the colossal upheaval that the destruction of the original kindergarten had for our families, especially during such an awful time," Cr Fullagar said.
"As we've found in several examples, rebuilding what was once there means we have to consider the planning context of the day – which includes bushfire, traffic, nearby trees and logistical considerations.
"We believe that co-locating with the school will have benefits for preschoolers and primary school students alike, strengthen connections and boost morale in the community that's had a tough few years.
"This decision will be a relief for the community, knowing there is a way forward and that we're behind it 100 per cent, providing funding to help develop the facility.
"I look forward to seeing the new kindergarten open and the community embracing this change."
As part of the co-location, Council will contribute $400,000 to develop the co-located kindergarten, with the majority of funding provided by the Department of Education.
Council will write to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to indicate its intention to cease the Committee of Management landholder arrangement for 1345 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, where the former building was located.
