Tuesday, 12 November 2024

 Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (19:11): (916) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Children, and the action I seek is for her to join me on a visit to check out the building progress at the new 130-place early learning centre at Moomba Park Primary School in Fawkner. From next year the centre will offer child care and three- and four-year-old kinder with fabulous outdoor play areas, maternal and child health, a room for community meetings and a playgroup. It has been so exciting to watch the building go up – one of the first of the 50 government-owned and government-run early learning and childcare centres being built as part of the Victorian government’s Best Start, Best Life program, as promised at the election.

Work is also progressing well on another election commitment of mine in Fawkner, the $14.5 million investment in John Fawkner College, which will deliver world-class science, technology, arts and food tech buildings and new classrooms. I enjoyed our visit to the opening of the $1.7 million extension at Lorne Street Kindergarten with the minister recently, and it was great to see the $8.1 million investment in new buildings at the adjoining Fawkner Primary, delivering great education for our local kids. I look forward to being in Fawkner again with the minister. Education remains my number one priority, and I am so proud of Labor’s investment in both education and early years.