Best Start, Best Life (Kindergarten Reforms)

6 February, 2024

Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (14:52): My constituency question is for the Minister for Children. The Allan Labor government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms represent a landmark $14 billion investment in Victoria’s children and their future. This $14 billion investment is delivering nation-leading reforms like free kinder, three-year-old kinder and Victorian government owned and operated early learning centres across our great state. These education and productivity reforms position Victoria and Victorians to thrive while putting money back into the pockets of parents. I was delighted to join the minister recently at the formal opening of the co-located Bethal Primary School Kindergarten, a beautiful learning community that gets rid of the double drop-off and delivers so many tangible benefits for Meadow Heights families. I know Roxburgh Park families are also excited about the rapid progress being made on the construction of another fantastic new co-located kinder in my electorate, this time at the Roxburgh Park Primary School. Could the minister please inform me how the Allan Labor government’s record investment in this type of quality kindergarten infrastructure is helping to make it easier for families in communities like Meadow Heights and Roxburgh Park to access high-quality early learning closer to home?