ACCESS to adequate childcare in Cohuna is seemingly one step closer.
The Coalition has committed to providing $800,000 worth of funding to the town’s progress association and Gannawarra Shire for childcare if they are elected to government later this month.
Leaders of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the situation in Cohuna has been deteriorating for some time, with COVID lockdowns making it difficult to attract teachers, police and nurses, who are not staying because they don’t have family support in town.
“As a government that will serve all Victorians, not just those in Melbourne, we won’t be waiting eight years to solve a problem as serious and as frustrating as this one,” Mr Walsh said.
“Cohuna should be a thriving, and growing, regional hub. The town is looking to have a childcare service that could fill at least 80 places through long day care and a kindergarten.
“And it’s not as if this is seriously proactive community has been sitting on its hands – the shire has kept pushing the formal line while the progress association committee has been going after the money itself.”
One of those proactive community members has been Tenielle Edge, who became an advocate for childcare in Cohuna after struggling to find any for her two boys. Along with Gannawarra Shire councillors, Ms Edge attended Mr Walsh’s announcement last week.
“To have the announcement of some funding, I think it’s fantastic, I’m really excited,” she told the Gannawarra Times.
Cohuna residents and businesses were recently asked to complete a survey which would help shape the future of childcare in the town. Ms Edge, who had been a part of the process of creating the surveys (one for businesses and one for residents) alongside an experienced childhood consultant and the Gannawarra Shire Council, said 269 residents and 70 businesses responded to the survey.
“Our consultant was really blown away by how well the community responded,” Ms Edge said.
“Under the circumstances with the floods and people protecting their homes and businesses and looking out for the community, they still had time to get involved, so it was fantastic to see.”
A draft report based on the results of the surveys is now being put together which will form the viability study needed to build a childcare centre in Cohuna.
“I believe it is looking very promising in the way of how it is actually backing up what we have been saying for so long,” Ms Edge said.
“Reading the draft report, I did say to the consultant that I got quite emotional because it felt like all the hard work is starting to pay off, it feels like things are starting to come together and they are working in our favour.”
Ms Edge said she is feeling positive is terms of where the project is headed.
“I’m not 100 percent sure on what the next step is,” she said. “I’m just so excited that we got the study done, I never really thought about what actually does happen next, I never actually thought we would get this far.”
