Huge setback for early learning centre opening

WET weather continues cause major project delays with the completion of the Leongatha Early Learning Centre not expected until February 2023. 

The project, which commenced in late 2021, was expected to be completed this year, but the shire has confirmed it will now open for term 2 of the 2023 school year.

The centre will be a 121-place integrated children’s facility in Symmons Street, providing long daycare, kindergarten, maternal and child health and allied health services.

The cost of the Leongatha Early Learning Centre project was approximately $5 million, with Council funding $3 million and grant funding of $2 million.

The centre will be leased and operated by a local not-for-profit early childhood service.

According to the shire, the centre is around 80 per cent complete. 

“Works happening now include floor finishes, joinery and painting. Building services fit off and commissioning will follow in the New Year, with building work expected to be finalised in February,” the shire stated.

“The poor recent weather has interrupted the progress of the external landscaping and carpark works and this will impact the final completion of the project, as these elements are crucial for the centre’s operations.  

“The centre is planned to open for term 2 of the 2023 school year.”

Early years planning

The centre’s near completion comes at a critical time, after councillors adopted the ‘Early Years guiding principles and position paper’ at their December meeting.

The Position Paper is to define the role and level of service council will provide in supporting early years services and infrastructure in the shire.

The Position Paper will guide council’s decision about: 

• The early years services where council has a direct service delivery role. 

• Investing in early years infrastructure. 

• Seeking funding from the Victorian State Government. 

• Advocating for improved early years services, infrastructure and funding in South Gippsland.

Proposed initial priorities include sharing the ‘Position Paper’ with early years’ service providers operating from Council-owned buildings, and share the proposed infrastructure development projects from the Early Years Service Needs Assessment with the Victorian School Building Authority and develop an agreed pipeline of projects for capital investment. 

The shire will also advocate to the State Government for the provision of 66 licensed places at the Korumburra Primary School, to support the future need for three- and four-year old kindergarten.

As well as enter an interim / short-term lease arrangement with the Government for the kindergarten facilities proposed at the primary school. 

The recently completed Early Years Services Needs Assessment confirmed that additional service capacity (licensed places) is needed in the short to medium term in Korumburra, Nyora and Mirboo North to meet the demand for 15 hours of three- and four-year-old kindergarten. 

Further capacity will be needed in multiple locations in the medium to long term to meet the demand generated by 30 hours of four-year-old kindergarten including in Leongatha, Mirboo North, Meeniyan, Korumburra, Nyora and Poowong. 

While the age and poor condition of kindergarten infrastructure in multiple locations means infrastructure will need to be replaced in the medium to long term in Toora, Welshpool, Hassett Street (Leongatha), Fish Creek, Poowong and Loch. 

The Position Paper notes in 2022, there were 506 children accessing three- and four-year-old kindergarten in buildings owned by Council and a further 80 in non-Council owned buildings. 

“Using the 2021 Census data as a guide, this means that 82.5 per cent of three- and four-year-old children in South Gippsland are accessing kindergarten in a Council owned building,” the paper states.

“While it is acknowledged some four-year-old children accessing kindergarten in South Gippsland live outside South Gippsland, this is a small number and is counteracted by children from South Gippsland accessing kindergarten outside the Shire.”