Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, today joined local families to open the upgraded Bairnsdale Kindergarten.  
 
Mr Bull said the upgrade has renovated the existing room which has increased kindergarten places from 50 to 60 places, upgraded the kindergarten’s office space and constructed an outdoor deck area for children to play on.

“This upgraded centre now meets the demand for high-quality early years services, which is great news for local families.  
 
“Today’s opening is a real milestone for the Bairnsdale Kindergarten community.
 
“It marks the completion of a project that has improved the quality and amenity of the centre, while giving more families access to its highly regarded programs,” Mr Bull said.

The Napthine Government invested $299,000 in the project, adding to the $19,500 raised by the Bairnsdale Kindergarten.  

Mr Bull said this project is testament to what can be achieved when the State Government works in partnership with local kindergartens and their communities.”

“The local fund raising efforts are a wonderful reflection of the generosity and hard work that exist in our community,” he said.

Mr Bull said it is great to see local companies involved in the project with Brooker Builders undertaking the construction work and McSweeney and Associates doing the design work.

Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, Wendy Lovell, said investing in early years infrastructure was part of the government’s plan to make Victoria a world leader in children's learning and development.
 
“Victoria already leads the nation in early childhood education and care, and by improving facilities and increasing access to services, we are making regional Victoria an even better place for families to raise their children,” she said.
 
Since December 2010, the Victorian Coalition Government has invested $120 million to build or upgrade over 300 Victorian children’s centres, creating more than 8500 new kindergarten places and generating hundreds of jobs in building, construction and related industries.
 
Much of this investment has flowed directly to families in regional Victoria, supporting them to give their children the very best start in life.