NEWS DESK Kinder grant LITTLE Tommies Early Learning Centre will be built in Mt Eliza as part of a state government $50 million investment in the early childhood sector. Eastern Victoria MP Daniel Mulino said $650,000 would be spent on the stand-alone facility at St Thomas More School, Canadian Bay Rd. The centre will provide 44 funded kindergarten places as well as 44 three-year-old places. “This grant will help give Mt Eliza families flexible, accessible and affordable early learning and care services,” Mr Mulino said. “The facility will foster supportive relationships for the wider community. It will offer opportunities for community learning and allow for relationships between the community and the school to be forged at an earlier time.” He said improved ratios would allow more one-on-one time for each child and add value to the time they spend at kindergarten before school.
Keeping track A WEBSITE tracking the performance of Victorian councils has been launched by the state government. Performance indicators in 66 categories are listed on the Know Your Council site, including rates cost, missed rubbish bin collections and customer service satisfaction levels. Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said the Know Your Council site improves transparency across all state councils. Statistics will be updated annually. Councils will also be able to respond to the results on the website. See knowyourcouncil.vic.gov.au to see Frankston Council performance results.
Riders jump for joy at opening Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au MAIN Ridge Pony Club and Nepean Equestrian Club members were jumping for joy at the opening of their water jump complex at the Main Ridge Equestrian Ground, Baldry’s Rd, Friday. This comes after a year of appealing for help from the community, businesses and organisations for the project which was identified by a government study as an essential component of the environmental protection at the ground. “Its achievement – only 12 months on – is very much thanks to the many partners who came on board, especially businesses and individuals who donated money, materials and/ or labour, to get the job done,” pony club president Dean Jones said. The water jump, with hoof cleaning station, will enhance the cross country course and protect the environmental integrity of the reserve which is bordered on two sides by Greens Bush. “The pony club has been meeting at the ground since 1968 when the land was set aside by the Green family for equestrian use,” Mr Jones said. “Not much has changed in nearly 50 years. The setting is as beautiful as ever, and the cross country jumps just as challenging. “But what has changed is how we look after this special environment, for ourselves and for the future.” The major threat to the ground is from phytophthora cinnamomi, a soilborne water mould producing dieback
Splish, splash: Charlie King puts Jag through his paces at the new water jump complex at Main Ridge. Picture: Yanni
quickly,” Mr Jones said. This meant moving the old water jump out of the bush area and installing the hoof cleaning station to remove the pathogen from the ground.
or root rot in plants. “This species had the potential to severely damage the ground and to spread into the national park and it was necessary to take measures
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“The creation of a water jump was a significant and costly undertaking for community clubs such as ourselves, which is where the wider community came to our rescue.”
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