Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (14:02): I rise to update the house on how the Allan Labor government is supporting families and giving Victorian children the best start in life. Last week I joined the Premier and the member for Laverton Sarah Connolly to celebrate the opening of the new Glengala Kindergarten, one of 24 brand new kindergartens on school sites opening this year. The Glengala Kindergarten is a beautiful facility and a welcome addition for families and the broader community in Sunshine West. With two rooms, the service will be able to offer kindergarten for up to 118 children across the week. Importantly the kindergarten is located right next door to Glengala Primary School. Kindergartens on or near school sites have many benefits for families, while helping children to get the most out of their early learning. Co-located kindergartens help families avoid the double drop-off, and they support a smooth transition to prep for our littlest learners. They also foster a sense of community by creating a central hub for education services, ensuring families can build connections right from the start. That is why, since 2021, every new Victorian primary school has had a kindergarten onsite or next door. This year we have reached an exciting milestone in that since 2019 our government has delivered more than 100 new and expanded kindergartens on school sites. These kindergartens are located right across Victoria, in every corner of our state.
Far from stopping there, we are already adding more services to the pipeline. Next year a further 15 kindergartens on school sites will open, including services in Werribee South, Clyde North, Sunbury, Aintree, Seville, Port Melbourne, Rochester and – the Treasurer will be pleased – Benalla. In 2028 another 10 will open, including six newly announced sites in Ararat, in Mickleham, in Longford, in Neerim South, in Warragul and in Noble Park. This is all part of our nation-leading Best Start, Best Life reforms, which are investing billions to build and expand kindergartens statewide. Through these reforms we are transforming early childhood education and providing 15 hours of three-year-old kindergarten by 2029 and up to 30 hours of pre-prep by 2036. Only the Labor government will continue delivering for children and their families.