08 Aug 2018 Benalla Ensign, Benalla VIC (General News) by Simon Ruppert Benallas Munro Avenue and Ride Avenue preschools will benefit from a share of Victorian Government grants aimed at improving childrens facilities across the state. Munro Ave Preschool has been awarded $10 000 towards building refurbishments while Ride Ave will get a more modest $598 to purchase a new digital camera. Munro Ave Preschool secretary and public officer Carly Duncombe said grants such as this were vital. We couldnt do anything like this without grant programs, she said. The kinder runs on the fundraising efforts of parents and we couldnt raise as much as $10 000 easily. So without the grant we wouldnt be able to do the work on the building that we need to. The money is going to go towards painting the outside of the building, which needs some work. The fascias are rotten so we need to repair them. And this building hasnt been painted in 30-odd years, so it is well overdue. State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said dozens of kindergartens in northern Victoria would benefit from $1.64 million through this years Childrens Facilities Capital Program minor grants round. Visiting Euroa Kindergarten to announce $11 500 in funding, Ms Symes said 26 kindergartens in northern Victoria would use the funding to purchase laptops, desktop computers, iPads and printers, and to make significant building improvements. Eight northern Victoria kindergartens will refurbish their facilities with upgrades to bathrooms, playgrounds, storage facilities and buildings. Im proud the Andrews Labor Government is helping the Euroa Kindergarten finish off their project that will give local kids the best education in a quality facility, Ms Symes said. These exciting upgrades to kinders throughout northern Victoria will give our little residents an even better kindergarten experience. Were delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services across northern Victoria so our children can get the most out of their kinder years and be prepared for primary school. The Victorian Government is investing $123.6 million to build, expand and improve early years infrastructure across Victoria to ensure local families can continue to access great local kindergartens, including $10 million targeting growth areas. Families are also set to benefit from the governments $202.1 million Education State Early Childhood Reform Plan, which provides strong support in early childhood so kids are ready for kindergarten and ready for school. For more information on recipients and the program, go to schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au