ECEC community hub to be developed in Echuca’s west

A partnership between Campaspe Shire Council and Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood Education and Care (SCECEC) will see a new early childhood community hub developed west of Echuca in country Victoria.

The partnership, Mayor Chrissy Weller said, will help to meet growing demand for three- and four-year-old kindergarten in Echuca which is currently not met by existing centres, as well as providing increased choice to families.

To be built on vacant council land between St Mary’s Primary School on Bridlington Ave and Echuca Twin Rivers School on Wilkinson Drive, the hub will be built and operated by SCECEC. 

The hub aims to provide a kindergarten, children’s services centre, maternal and child health rooms and support visiting allied health services, creating an education precinct in Echuca’s west.

SCECEC Executive Director Paul Desmond said SCECEC was proud to be partnering with Campaspe Shire on delivering what would be “an exceptional community centre” for families of Echuca and district.

The project will also be supported by Victorian Government grant funding via the Building Blocks Capacity Building Grant stream that supports creating additional kindergarten centres for three- and four-year-old children by building new, or expanding existing infrastructure.

SCECEC operates two kindergartens in the region, and Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd, who SCECEC are affiliated with, operates 56 primary and secondary schools in northern Victoria.

The Council will begin the statutory process for transferring the land shortly. To read local coverage of this story, please see here.