Northern Grampians Shire Council is establishing a Stakeholder Reference Group to seek input and assistance to identify an early learning service model that meets the needs of the St Arnaud community now and into the future.
To explore viable options and better engage with both experts and the community, the council is calling on St Arnaud residents to consider lodging an expression of interest to take part in the group. Three community representatives will be selected.
To ensure the best decision for St Arnaud children and their families is made, the group will discuss such things as the opportunity for an Early Years integrated service model, a prospective location for pre-prep modular buildings, and the future operating model of these services.
Northern Grampians Shire Council currently operates a licensed 90 place Early Learning Centre (ELC) in St Arnaud, delivering sessional kindergarten programs and long day care. The centre is the only Early Childhood Education and Care service in the area, providing important support to families, employees and the community. One of the key challenges is the unmet demand for long day care services.
Mayor of Northern Grampians Shire Council, Cr Rob Haswell emphasised that the role of the Stakeholder Reference Group will be to engage with the broader community. This will ensure views, concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered throughout the process.
"This project is about resetting and undergoing a robust and rigorous process to identify a permanent site for two modular pre-prep buildings with consideration to other early years services. The Stakeholder Reference Group will be made up of stakeholder representatives within the St Arnaud community as well as professionals working in the early years field," said Mayor Haswell.
"At the heart of this project is supporting our children to get the best start in life. A thorough process is important not only to consider all options but also to demonstrate that the preferred recommendation going forward has been well considered and achieves the best overall outcome for St Arnaud," added Mayor Haswell.
Two modular buildings have been offered to assist with the roll out of Pre-Prep and accommodate 66 licensed kindergarten places in St Arnaud. The initial recommendation to place the modular building within Market Square was discarded last year and a decision was made to identify an alternative site. Council acknowledges the need to fast track delivery of the kindergarten building whilst planning for an integrated Early Years service that works for the community and accommodates for growth.
If you would like to learn more about the Stakeholder Reference Group or submit an Expression of Interest form, please visit www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/Projects-and-Consultation/Have-Your-Say/St-Arnaud-Integrated-Early-Years-Service
Expression of Interest forms will need to be submitted to the council by 5pm on 27 March.
