Adventist Schools Victoria will receive $A9 million for a new early learning centre (ELC) though the state government’s Building Blocks Capacity grants.
The government grants will help support the early learning sector to build new facilities.
“The Victorian Government is very keen to provide capital grant funding for early learning centres that are attached to schools,” Adventist Schools Victoria CEO Steve Cowley explained.
This grant will help build the Mernda Hills ELC which will feature four kindergarten rooms and is expected to cater for 237 children aged between three and four years old.
Located on the Mernda Hills Christian College campus, the project addresses the evident need for high-quality Christian education in the Whittlesea community. It offers an affordable and values-based option for families seeking comprehensive education for their children.
“Mernda is a growth corridor to the north of Melbourne and there are a lot of housing estates that are being developed, attracting many young families to the area,” Mr Cowley said.
“Our ELC at Mernda will provide a uniquely Christian early childhood experience and in this regard will ‘stand out’ in comparison to the other early childhood options in the area.”
The centre will also include two consulting rooms for specialist health services, and maternal and child health. The type of services proposed could include child and family counselling, speech therapy and allied support services. Provision was made in the architectural design for visiting health professionals to rent room space within the ELC facility. The final details for this will be subject to expressions of interest.
Construction is expected to begin later this year. The centre is scheduled to open in early 2026.
The Mernda ELC is one of several projects currently in progress through Adventist Schools Victoria. ELCs have been built at five of the seven school campuses in Victoria with a further grant received for $4.49 million to build a two-room ELC at Henderson College in Mildura. Gilson College received a grant for $1.5 million for a Senior Victorian Certificate of Education Centre Stage 2 project. Mernda Hills Christian College also received $3.6 million to build a multipurpose centre. These projects are all funded by the Victorian state government.
