Kinder funding plea

Bowen Park Kindergarten president Prue Metcalfe has called on Baw Baw Shire to allocate funding in its budget to secure accommodation for the kindergarten once its current lease expires.

Baw Baw Shire has previously declared it will not be involved in the relocation of Bowen Park Kindergarten once its lease expires at its current premises in Bowen St.

Ms Metcalfe and Kelly Mills addressed council on behalf of the Bowen Park kindergarten community as part of council’s budget submissions process.

Ms Metcalfe said they welcomed council’s commitment to a new children’s hub at Drouin and commended the shire for recognising the need for more kinder placements.

But, she said, they were asking council to also include funds in the 2014/15 budget to secure accommodation for Bowen Park kindergarten.

Ms Mills told council Bowen Park kindergarten needed to be moved to a permanent location in the future.

She said they hoped future capital works programs could cover the project but in the interim council needed to work out a solution.

Ms Mills suggested council allocate $50,000 in the budget, of which $40,000 could be used for temporary accommodation.

Ms Metcalfe said the committee had held discussions with councillors and the Education Department to find a solution, whether a new kindergarten could be accommodated at a school or on a greenfield site.

“We do have some options and believe $40,000 would cover the kinder for a couple of years,” she said.

Cr Joe Gauci asked where they planned to find accommodation for $40,000. Ms Mills said they were still investigating options. Shire community services director Liana Thompson told The Gazette the Bowen Park kindergarten was not a council kindergarten, nor was the facility.

She said the kindergarten was managed through the YMCA cluster but was part of council’s central enrolment scheme.

At its June 10 meeting, council agreed to pursue the provision of alternative kindergarten places following the closure of Bowen Park.

Cr Mikaela Power suggested council officers meet with relevant parties, including the Families, Children and Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos to identify and pursue options for alternative kindergarten places before Bowen Park kindergarten closes.

Cr Power said a report needed to be presented to council with recommended options.

She said council needed to “pursue our ongoing endeavours to provide extra kindergarten places for the Warragul area.”

“Sometimes it feels like no matter which way we go there is a block. This gives is the opportunity to go out and look at what we are doing because what we are doing now isn’t working.

“This is an opportunity to change what we are doing and seek a better result,” she said.

Cr Murray Cook said council had done a lot but “we have to do more to make sure we get it right.”