A contract for the Iris Ramsay Kindergarten upgrade was awarded to local company 4Front Construction at Ballarat City Council’s December 14 meeting.

It will include a new kindergarten room with 22 places, replacing the current temporary portable building, and improved toilets and storage.

Construction will begin early next year with the upgrade, completely funded by the state government, expected to be completed by mid-2017.

A new Bonshaw Early Learning Centre and the Lucas Community Hub Early Learning Centre are currently under construction, and $2 million in upgrades are also scheduled for the Girrabanya Children’s Centre and Mount Pleasant Kindergarten.

Girrabanya Children’s Centre will get 22 new long day care places and 23 occasional care places, increasing placement numbers from 22 to 33.

Mount Pleasant Kindergarten will receive a second kindergarten room, doubling the number of its spaces available.

The $2 million in funding was originally pledged by the former Liberal state government for an early learning centre at Canadian Lead Primary School, but the current Labor state government and the council agreed there was a greater need for kindergartens with long waiting lists to be upgraded instead.

Family and Childrens Minister Jenny Mikakos said the government was investing $83.7 million to help kindergartens improve staff-to-child ratios and $60 million in the early childhood sector through building and upgrading kindergartens and children’s centres.

“Early childhood services and kindergarten make a big difference to children’s lives and we’re ensuring all Victorian children see the benefits,” Ms Mikakos said.