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Nichols Point Integrated Early Years Centre given the go ahead
Freya Lucas
Nov 19, 2024
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The Victorian community of Nichols Point will soon have a four room, 132 place Integrated Early Years Centre following $8.95 million in funding from the Victorian Government via the Building Blocks Capacity Grant program.
The centre will be established on the old Nichols Point Primary School site and include two consultation rooms, a community meeting room and community activity space, all housed within the existing old primary school building, which will be updated following a successful application made by Mildura Rural City Council.A new building will also be established at the site, adjacent to the existing school building, which will comprise four kindergarten rooms and capacity for 132 kindergarten places, along with a parent lounge, breastfeeding room, staff amenities and a consultation room.
The centre and kindergarten will provide a much-needed boost to early learning places while establishing a modern multi-service early years hub in the heart of one of Sunraysia’s rapidly growing residential areas.
“This is a fantastic result in terms of additional early years services for the broader region, as well as for the first time providing Nichols Point residents with the convenience of these services close by,” Council’s General Manager Healthy Communities Mark Jenkins said.
“I’d like to thank the Nichols Point community for their valuable input into plans for the new centre, which has contributed to our successful funding application. Residents’ input will also ensure the new centre meets the needs of our community’s youngest residents once it opens.”
Nichols Point Inc. President Evette Turlan was among those to provide feedback into the planning stages of the new centre, including signing a letter of support for the funding application.
She said having a kindergarten and early years services in the centre of Nichols Point would provide a host of benefits.
“The convenience of having a kindergarten in the town which will feed directly into the local primary school will be invaluable for the community,” she said.
“It will also encourage and support younger families to come to the area, particularly with the new residential development that is happening at the moment, so this will be amazing for the town.”
Mr Jenkins said this month’s announcement, combined with ongoing progress on the new Red Cliffs Early Years Hub, which will open early next year, represented major progress in meeting current and future demand for three and four-year-old kindergarten places in the region.
Council will advertise for tenders to build the new centre, ahead of the expected start of construction early next year.
Learn more about the Building Blocks Capacity Grant program here.
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