$3.48 million investment to expand early learning in Parkes Shire

The Australian Government has committed to a transformative expansion of early childhood education and care (ECEC) infrastructure, workforce and access pathways, under a reform agenda that includes the establishment of a $1 billion Building Early Education Fund.

Announced by the Prime Minister in October 2025, the package is designed to boost access to high-quality early learning, particularly for children and families living in regional and outer suburban areas where service availability is limited.

The investment forms part of a broader national strategy to make early learning more accessible and affordable, alongside initiatives to improve workforce sustainability and reduce systemic barriers to participation.

The Building Early Education Fund will provide capital funding to help deliver new services or expand existing ones. The program is intended to address supply challenges in areas where families currently have limited or no access to early learning options.

The grants will support new infrastructure in communities with low or no ECEC services, including co-located models on school grounds or in growing suburbs without adequate provision.

This approach aligns with Productivity Commission recommendations to improve service equity, and with sector calls for place-based planning to ensure all families can access quality early education, regardless of postcode.

In addition to capital investment, the Government will introduce a three day ECEC guarantee, commencing in January 2026. The new measure will provide all eligible families with access to at least three days per week of subsidised early learning.

Recent announcements at the state level also demonstrate how targeted investment is being used to expand service access in local communities.

In New South Wales, two preschools in Parkes Shire Trundle Children’s Centre and Peak Hill Preschool Kindergarten are receiving a combined $3.48 million in infrastructure funding to improve and expand early learning access for local families.

The upgrades include the construction of a new purpose-built facility in Trundle, and the transformation of a former aged care site in Peak Hill into a modern preschool and long day care service.

These projects, funded through state early childhood capital works programs, reflect the type of community-level expansion the federal Building Early Education Fund is intended to support.

The government’s 2025 early learning reform package is one of the most significant national investments in ECEC infrastructure and access in recent years. With supply-side support, affordability reforms, and workforce strategies aligned under a unified agenda, the sector is poised for transformation.

However, implementation will be key. Sector stakeholders continue to emphasise the importance of embedding quality, ratios review, inclusion, and workforce sustainability across all reform elements, and ensuring that policy changes translate to meaningful improvements for children, families and educators.

As services prepare for funding opportunities under the new programs, the coming year is expected to be one of rapid development and adaptation, with long term impacts likely to be shaped by how effectively systems and communities can respond.