THE contract for the preschool builds across Far West New South Wales has been awarded, meaning more accessible education is one step closer to becoming a reality.
Part of the State Government’s 100 Preschools program will see the facilities co-located at existing public schools at Bourke, Menindee, and Morgan Street public schools.
Shape Australia Pty Ltd will deliver the preschools, with construction expected to begin later this year and doors opening early 2027.
Member for Barwon Roy Butler said he was appreciative of the work and consultation that had gone into the process.
Each public early learning service will be co-located with an existing public primary school, making drop-off and pick up easier for busy families and helping children transition into kindergarten with confidence.
Once open, the four sites will cater for up to 320 local children a week.
They will join the recently opened Gulyangarri Public Preschool in Liverpool, the first new public preschool built in NSW in almost 20 years.
This is part of the State Government’s record investment to rapidly expand the provision of public preschool in NSW.
As the biggest expansion of public preschools in the state’s history, the NSW Government’s rollout of 100 more public preschools will provide access to high quality early learning for up to 9000 children across the state by 2027.
Of the 100 new public preschools, 51 are metropolitan Sydney and 49 are in regional NSW.
Menindee Central School executive principal Fiona Kelly said it will be a wonderful opportunity for the Menindee community.
“Our new service will provide greater access and support for our young children as they transition to kindergarten,” she said.
“We are very excited to welcome our newest learners and support the beginning of their learning journey.”
Morgan Street Public School principal Scott Sanford said it was positive for the community.
“Our community is looking forward to having a public preschool on the same site as Morgan Street Public School,” Mr Sanford said.
“We are excited to welcome our youngest learners when the new preschool opens, as we understand the positive impact that quality early childhood education has on their learning.”
Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning, Courtney Houssos, said the co-location of the additional preschools to established education sites will ease the burden of travel for regional families.
“Access to preschool can be difficult for young families, particularly in regional areas, which is why we are delivering new public preschools across towns in the state’s far west in areas where they are needed most,” she said.
“The Minns Labor government, with the advocacy of Deputy Premier Prue Car, is committed to improving access to free, quality public preschool for our youngest learners because we know how crucial early learning is for a child’s development.”
