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Hope Valley upgrades a welcome win under QLD region building program
Freya Lucas
Mar 14, 2019
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Children and families living in Queensland’s Hope Valley region, north of the Daintree rainforest, will soon have access to outside school hours care (OSHC) and vacation care, as well as upgraded kindergarten facilities, through the fourth round of a $295 million funding program, known as Building our Regions (BoR).
Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said this latest round of BoR funding will see Queensland partner with 37 councils on 49 projects, delivering vital infrastructure to communities, and stimulating regional economic growth, with the estimated input of 657 jobs during the roll out.Speaking about the Hope Valley roll out, Mr Dick said the $612,825 George Bowen Memorial Kindergarten Upgrade project would receive $557,825 through BoR, with Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council contributing $55,000 to the project.
Hope Vale Ministerial Champion Mick de Brenni said the project and investment would bring a bigger kindergarten building to cater for larger groups, shade structures, a soft fall playground and sand pit, and better front fencing.
Mr de Brenni said that parents in the region were currently faced with a choice between working or caring for children “which isn’t a compromise they should have to make”.
“Longer opening hours at George Bowen Memorial Kindergarten means we can take the pressure off parents and carers in the community, by making it easier to juggle work and family. The right thing to do is to focus our energy on giving children every opportunity to succeed, and that’s what we are doing.” Mr de Brenni said.
Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor June Pearson said the kindy expansion would meet a need for families and provide real future employment prospects.
“In addition to jobs provided by the upgrade work, there is scope for four extra employment opportunities at the centre, post construction, plus four traineeships longer term,” Ms Pearson said.
Previous BoR funding rounds have allocated $225 million to 174 critical infrastructure projects across Queensland, generating 1762 jobs and attracting additional investment of $353.5 million from councils and other organisations, Mr Dick said.
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