Kinder cuts places amid project funding shortage

Erin Pearson
A “last-ditch” meeting has failed to save Barwon Heads three-year-old kinder places, with the facility forced to slash half its 2011 enrolments.
Barwon Heads Kinder futures committee coordinator Anissa Yttrup said neither major political party had agreed to provide funding for a facilities upgrade to accommodate extra children.
Ms Yttrup said parents now had to search in Queenscliff or Geelong for classes, with none available in neighbouring Ocean Grove.
“Thirty people have missed out. If kids don’t get classes here they more than likely won’t get the opportunity to do it at all.”
Ms Yttrup said accessing funding was “near impossible” despite State Government allocating $210 million for kinder upgrades.
The kinder had only $30,000 from City of Greater Geelong for concept plans, she said.
“The quotes from council to build a new two-room kinder are $3.5 million and a children’s hub is $5.5 million but to apply for the $1 million State Government funding you need to first show you have the remainder.”
Ward councillor Andy Richards promised to help.
“If I can get my fellow councillors to agree, and hopefully they will, we’d be in a position to sell the land the kinder sits on in Clifford Parade and put that money toward a new kindergarten at Barwon Heads Primary school,” he said.
Cr Richards said the City needed five to 10 new kindergartens or children’s hubs in the next five to 10 years at Leopold, Grovedale, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Lara and in Geelong’s northern suburbs.