The Municipal Association of Victoria’s (MAV) State Council has thrown its support behind the “Don’t Forget About Us” Kindergarten Campaign to address the problem of ageing kindergarten infrastructure across Victoria. The high profile campaign, involving metropolitan and regional Councils, is lobbying for a $60 million injection of funds into ageing kindergarten infrastructure and a long term strategy to fix the problem.
Whitehorse Mayor, Councillor Sharon Ellis, said the MAV State Council endorsement was a major milestone for what had started out as a “grassroots” local campaign in the City of Whitehorse and had spread quickly throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria.
“The State Council motion calls on the MAV, which represents 79 Councils across Victoria, to provide all possible assistance to the “Don’t Forget About Us” Kindergarten Campaign,” Councillor Ellis said. “It also means the MAV will work with supporting Councils, including Whitehorse, to hold a summit in August to seek solutions from the State Government for the problem of ageing kindergarten infrastructure across the State.”
Councillor Ellis said the groundswell of support across Victoria from Councils and kindergartens was outstanding with more Councils joining the campaign each week.
“This campaign is going from strength to strength and the MAV State Council decision has reinforced that Victoria’s kindergartens are facing a crisis of major proportions,” Mayor Ellis said. “The reality is our kinder buildings are falling apart. Parent committees and Councils are stretched to the limit trying to bandaid 35 to 50 year old run down buildings. The bottom line is kindergartens are a State Government program and responsibility and the Government should be ensuring children can learn in buildings that are modern and inspiring – not falling apart!”
For more information about the “Don’t Forget About Us” Kindergarten Campaign contact Joanne Mulcahy, Manager Communications, at the City of Whitehorse on (03) 9262 6586.
