The kindergarten is planned to be built on the site of the existing primary school.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The planned Kialla West kindergarten did not open this year and will not open next year.
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It will reportedly still open; it’s just not known when.
A Department of Education spokesperson said the delays were “due to local water infrastructure being at capacity, and additional sewage capacity being needed to enable the kindergarten to be built and operational”.
“This was communicated to families as early as possible, to ensure they had time to make alternative arrangements,” the spokesperson said.
“We're working with local stakeholders to assess what infrastructure the site needs.”
Victorian Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn announced in March 2024 that a new kindergarten would be built on the site of Kialla West Primary School, and would see its first cohort of preschoolers through the doors at the beginning of 2026.
Last August, when the delay was announced, families were left to reconsider their options for this year.
The kindergarten opening date was pushed to Term 1, 2027.
But, as first round offers opened for 2027 places last week, on August 7, families were advised the kindergarten south of Shepparton was not an option for next year either.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has criticised the Victorian Government for failing local families with the second postponement, saying parents had “once again been left in the lurch and forced to search for kinder places at a time when access to early learning is difficult to secure”.
New Victorian premier Ben Carroll was education minister from 2023 until earlier this month, in which time he oversaw the Victorian School Building Authority when it failed to start construction of the promised kindergarten.
Ms Lovell was among many advocates who warned that serious road safety upgrades around the school were needed prior to construction, for vehicles involved in building the kindergarten and for the increased traffic of parents dropping off kids once it opened.
Construction has not begun on the kindergarten, nor the road intersection upgrade.
“Labor has let down families in Greater Shepparton once again with another broken promise, and a further delay to the Kialla West kinder,” Ms Lovell said.
Despite the multiple postponements, Kialla West Primary School principal Wes Teague said the school community was “not really that upset” about the latest delay announcement.
“They just wanted clarification,” he said.
Kialla West Primary School will not see a kindergarten in operation on its grounds in 2027.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
While some parents and caregivers were looking forward to having a single drop-off for multiple children with the school and kinder at the one location, Mr Teague said there were plenty of places available in other nearby centres and that it was more important to get the proper infrastructure in place than to rush construction.
“There are lots of government agencies involved, it’s going to take a bit of time,” he said.
The News asked the Department of Education whether the kindergarten was expected to open in 2028 or on another date, or whether the project might be scrapped altogether.
No date was confirmed, rather there was an open-ended promise.
“We remain committed to delivering the kindergarten,” the spokesperson responded.
Greater Shepparton City Council co-ordinates kindergarten registration for Greater Shepparton.
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