By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
On a busy week for State politicians, the Premier and local MP Michaela Settle visited Bacchus Marsh last Friday, announcing a new six-figure contribution for a local early years hub.<\/p>\n
The West Maddingley Early Years & Community Hub aims to cater for the area\u2019s many young families and their kids, with Premier Daniel Andrews saying the State Government would match a $3.5 million commitment from Moorabool Shire Council.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to be here and see this brand-new family and community hub, maternal and child health, kinder, family services, and a whole lot of community space\u2026and to be here with the Mayor and Councillors, and celebrate a really important partnership,\u201d Mr Andrews told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is being built by a local firm, so it\u2019s great for local jobs and families. With the amount of housing going up here, now\u2019s the time to invest in kinder, they\u2019re going to be very busy here I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moorabool Shire Mayor Cr Rod Ward said it was fantastic to have the State Government\u2019s support to get the Hub completed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting, this facility\u2019s going to be a great benefit. There was a significant deficit last year in early childcare spots available, so this will definitely help us address that with our rapidly-growing population. We appreciate the support of the Victorian Government \u2013 this is one of several projects we\u2019ve benefited from under the Growing Suburbs Fund over the past few years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s $3.5 million from the State Government and $3.5 million from Council\u2026that\u2019s significant money, and Council can\u2019t achieve these sort of projects, of this scope, without that support. This is a much-needed facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving childcare available alongside a kindergarten, there\u2019ll be a good transition there for the kids. It\u2019s very much needed, we\u2019re in the peri-urban area which is an enormous growth area. It\u2019s fantastic that we can work with the State Government to secure these funds,\u201d East Moorabool Ward Councillor Moira Berry added.<\/p>\n
Maddingley is one of the most rapidly-growing areas in the state, with census information released by .id earlier this year showing that over the past decade, the area has grown by a whopping 140 per cent, compared to the Victorian average of 21.5 per cent.<\/p>\n
The West Maddingley Early Years & Community Hub is expected to be completed by the end of the year, in time for the first students to use in Term 1 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis On a busy week for State politicians, the Premier and local MP Michaela Settle visited Bacchus Marsh last Friday, announcing a new six-figure contribution for a local early years hub. The West Maddingley Early Years & Community Hub aims to cater for the area\u2019s many young families and their kids, with Premier […]<\/p>\n