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New early years' hub gets nod from State Government
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Posted: 02/07/2008
WODONGA Council is one of five councils to receive a $1 million municipal wide infrastructure grant to go towards building an early years’ hub at White Box Rise Estate.
The Victorian Government announced five successful councils last month from around 20 applicants, with Member for Northern Victoria Region Candy Broad visiting Wodonga today to officially announce the funds.
Other successful councils included Hume, Yarra, Geelong and Latrobe.
The funds will contribute to the community engagement, planning and design of early years’ hubs across the city and council’s Municipal Infrastructure Plan, with a particular focus on the needs of Wodonga’s new development fronts.
The funding will also contribute to the building of a new early years’ hub, in partnership with Wodonga South Primary School, at White Box Rise Estate and to redevelop the Belgrade Avenue Preschool.
Silva Drive and Strathmore Street preschools will relocate to the new centre once built at White Box Rise Estate.
Wodonga Mayor Rodney Wangman said it was fantastic news for young families to know that Wodonga will have a brand new early years’ hub.
“The White Box Rise Estate centre will provide a child care services, a preschool, and maternal and child health services,” he said.
Cr Wangman said the early years’ team has been working hard for a number of years on the Early Years’ Services and Facilities information kit, which identified the need to redevelop some hubs, and relocate two preschools and one maternal child health clinic to White Box Rise Estate in the future.
“The Belgrade avenue redevelopment will see the strengthening of the existing preschool, playgroups and maternal and child health with increased space for a range of other services to be located there,” he said.
“It is an example of council’s officers doing the work in previous years to be well positioned to receive funding when it becomes available.
“It is terrific to be recognised for this and to be able to move forward with our plans for making our early years’ services the best they can be for our residents.”
