Bendigo’s prayers for more schools and childcare are starting to be answered.
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Council is considering two proposals aimed at addressing the surging demand for enrollment as the city’s population continues to grow.
One is a $1.76 million development for a new school and kindergarten in Junortoun and the other a $700,000 new kindergarten in downtown Bendigo.
Both applications at the City of Greater Bendigo’s planning department are from Christian schools.
The Bendigo Baptist Church in Junortoun is applying to develop the 5.5 hectares at the rear of its McIvor Highway property where a previous school used to operate.
It has already registered the name Bendigo Christian College.
Chairman Philip Trebilcock said the school board hoped to begin classes in 2018 with both a kindergarten and Prep to Year 3 primary school but would grow one year level thereafter through to Year 12.
At the start the school would have 30 students and the kindergarten 22 children. But the primary school aims to grow by 15 to 25 students every year until it has 85 students and the kinder will have the capacity to double its intake.
The Creek Street Christian College is also planning to expand by partial demolition and remodeling of an adjoining property which it owns.
Its new kindergarten would accept up to 22 students four-year-old children three days per week. It would also accommodate 15 three-year-old children once a week and have a playgroup once a week when there are no kinder classes.
Principal Coral Maxwell said the new students would be able to use the college's existing library, stadium and specialist classrooms as well as interact with older students via a buddy system.
“It will be very exciting to see our early learning centre open and supporting an additional group of young people,” Mrs Maxwell said.
Both plans are being developed by the Bendigo-based Centrum Town Planning and both highlight the city’s growing population as arguments for their approval.
Mr Trebilcock said Junortoun was in a high-growth area lacking services.
The Latrobe University lecturer pointed to recent federal election polls which saw a 29 per cent increase in voters choosing to cast their ballot in Junortoun.
But despite rapid development, the nearest primary schools to the site are 6.1 km away at Strathfieldsaye and 4.6 km to Kennington.
Creek Street’s proposal points to projections that the number of families with preschool-aged children in Bendigo will grow from 7700 currently to 8612 in 2020.
“With our property on a growth corridor, close to urban developments and alongside the O’Keefe trail, we see many unique learning opportunities,” Mr Trebilcock said.
“We want our students to be able to utilise our picturesque outlook as part of our educational offering.”
Both schools have said they will be open to all students.
Mr Trebilcock said the church was already Bendigo’s biggest playgroup provider and that Bendigo Christian College would “follow our inclusive policy of being open to all”.
Mrs Maxwell said all families “willing to support the Christian ethos of the school” would have opportunity to enrol.