Marong's youngest citizens will soon have a new learning space, with funding secured to build a "future proofing" kindergarten in the high-growth area.
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City of Greater Bendigo Council hopes to break ground by the end of the year on stage one of the multi-million-dollar Marong Kindergarten and Community Hub project, which would see a 99-pupil capacity facility and allied health rooms built at the tennis courts adjacent to the Marong Community Hall.
The kindergarten is the beginning of a broader community precinct planned to include maternal and child health services, playgroups and parenting programs as well as allied health services and wellbeing programs.
The council bid, in conjunction with the state government, aims to keep up with the growing population in the suburb west of Bendigo, according to a project co-ordinator.
Marong's population is set to reach 8000 by 2025/26.
"It really is about future proofing that part of Bendigo which is one of our key growth areas," Connected Communities, Community Partnerships co-ordinator Jo Connellan, said.
Ms Connellan said the project would ensure families moving to the area had easy access to services particularly important in those "early years".
"We know that those early years are the most critical time of a child's life," Ms Connellan said.
"So to be able to have the services located in one location is extremely important."
The Victorian state government fronted the $5.5 million build cost of the kindergarten in line with its $14 billion Best Start, Best Life reforms, with Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards announcing the funding at the "greenfield" site on Monday, July 31.
Ms Edwards said the project "makes sense" to provide for families currently restricted to the capacity of a single local kindergarten to service the entirety of Marong and surrounds.
"So [the outstanding facility] is their nearest kindergarten, unless they travel right into Bendigo," she said.
"And we know that there's going to be a lot of young families moving to Marong ... so its important that we build for the future."
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The Victorian government announced an additional $1.2 billion in its 2023/204 budget for early education including new and expanded kindergartens on local government sites.
Funding for stage two of the Marong project, which would see a community hub added to the precinct, is yet to be funded.
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