Tuesday, 8 September 2026

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:39): I rise to update the house on the Carroll Labor government’s Building Blocks partnership with the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited. This morning I joined the director of Catholic education at DOBCEL Tom Sexton and the Victorian Catholic Education Authority, represented by CEO Elizabeth Labone, and parliamentary colleagues Ms Ermacora and the members for Wendouree, Eureka and Ripon, representing electorates across the diocese, to announce our 22nd Building Blocks partnership.

Prior to the 2022 election our government made a commitment to build or upgrade 60 kindergartens at low-fee non-government schools, and with this being our fourth Building Blocks partnership with the non-government sector, we are delivering exactly what we promised. Working with DOBCEL, the Carroll Labor government is investing an initial $5.47 million to build a new kindergarten at St Mary’s Primary School in Swan Hill, delivering 178 places for local families, as well as planning for future kindergarten projects in Coragulac and Kororoit.

This partnership is the culmination of work that we began together back in 2022. I want to thank DOBCEL and the Victorian Catholic Education Authority for their constructive engagement throughout that process and for bringing this partnership together. It is work that builds on our government’s longstanding investment in Catholic education. It is the second-largest provider of education across Victoria. We have been proud to support Catholic schools through both the $402 million Non-Government Schools Capital Fund and the $450 million Building Fund for Non-Government Schools. To date this has included an investment of over $46 million into schools operated by DOBCEL.

As the Carroll Labor government rolls out 15 hours of free three-year-old kindergarten as well as additional hours of free four-year-old kindergarten, we are continuing to invest in the early years infrastructure that will help deliver these reforms. Building Blocks partnerships are a critical part of this work. With one in every five students in Victoria attending a Catholic school, this sector will continue to play a crucial role as we expand access to kindergarten across the state. On this side of the house, we know that actually delivering for families means investing for the future, building those strong partnerships, expanding access to kindergarten and giving every child the best start in life.