Council welcomes $9.2m funding for children’s facilities

The City of Whittlesea has welcomed a Victorian Government announcement of a $9.2m contribution towards building two community centres in the City of Whittlesea.

The funding will enable Council to build the Patterson Drive Community Activity Centre in Donnybrook and West Wollert Community Centre.

Administrator Peita Duncan said Council was pleased to partner with the government to provide critical children’s services.

“A partnership approach always enables us to build much-needed facilities for our fast-growing communities and also increase capacity to meet the demand generated by the Victorian Government’s 3 year-old kindergarten reform program.”

“The Victorian government’s funding is co-contributing to kindergartens and maternal and child health services spaces; and these two centres will also provide meeting rooms, community kitchens, gardens and outdoor areas.”

The $9.2m funding is part of the Victorian Government’s Building Blocks Partnership Program and will help deliver the creation more than 310 kindergarten places between both centres.

Patterson Drive Community Centre has also received $2m from the Victorian Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund and just over $700,000 from the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program Fund. The City of Whittlesea will also contribute $6.7 million to the projects.