Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (19:07): (1402) My adjournment is for the Minister for Children in the other place. The action I seek is that the minister update me on the works being done to build not one but two brand new onsite kindergartens at schools in my electorate in Sunshine West. As the minister knows, our government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms are making a world of difference for families right across Victoria. Part of these reforms involves building more kindergartens across Victoria, because it is absolutely a great thing that more and more kids in our community are going to kinder, and they are starting earlier, at three and four years of age, to benefit from early childhood education. We know that every extra year of learning helps these kids. As part of these changes we are getting on with building 50 new early learning centres right across Victoria, which are government-run and importantly, where possible, located next to or on the site of our primary schools. This means that parents taking their kids to school in the morning can avoid the dreaded double drop-off. I am very pleased to say that the Laverton electorate was one of the lucky first to benefit from these new early learning centres, with Muyan early learning centre located onsite at Sunshine Primary School opening earlier this year. That early learning centre is a beautiful, brand new facility and it is easy to get to, but I am pleased to say that we are not stopping there. Another two kindergartens are well and truly on their way in the Laverton electorate, and both of them are in Sunshine West. We have got one coming for Ardeer South Primary School and another one right next door at Glengala Primary School. These are both areas which I know would benefit greatly from having access to government-run public kindergarten services right next to their local – and fabulous – primary schools. These new kinders are close, and I believe that they open early next year, which is why I and my community in Sunshine West would greatly appreciate an update from the minister on how works at both of these two kinder sites are progressing.