MEMBERS STATEMENT: SEA LAKE KINDERGARTEN

In a similar vein, I was thrilled to be in the Mallee recently and particularly in Sea Lake to announce that the local kinder will receive $1.152 million in funding to undertake a major refurbishment of Tyrrell College and extension through the children’s facilities capital program. The upgrade includes a refurbishment of two existing classrooms at the college to cater for a two-room early years centre and maternal and child health facilities. It will also have some day care facilities as part of the extension as well. It will increase the capacity of the centre to provide both three- and four-year-old kinder and, as I said, long day care. It will increase that capacity for three- and four-year-old kinder from 25 places to 40 places. It is one thing to announce these great pieces of public policy, but to then build the infrastructure on top to support them is so important. The kids were enjoying Children’s Week. They were having a picnic out on the oval, and it was great to be a part of the local community. I was joined by Mallee Track Health and Community Service, which runs the kinder, Ellen White, a councillor from Buloke shire, and Anthony Judd, the CEO of Buloke shire, as well as Mark Corrie from Tyrrell College, to announce this fantastic new facility.