Free kindy coming to more than 3,000 Sunshine Coast families

• 700 Sunshine Coast families already get free kindy in 2023
• 3,000 extra families can get free kindy from 2024
• New $14.6 million hall for Yandina State School
• $85m for school infrastructure on Sunshine Coast in 2023/24 alone

Photographs of visits available on request

Over 3,000 Sunshine Coast families will receive free kindy in 2024 thanks to a historic announcement from the Palaszczuk Government.

Set to save families up to $4,600 a year, a $645.4 million budget boost will make kindy free for every Queensland family – and take the government’s total investment in kindy to $2 billion over four years.

Education Minister Grace Grace joined Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt at C&K Queen St Community Kindergarten this morning to hear how families will benefit from the policy, which also includes additional funding for staff attraction and retention, extra investment for kindy kids with disability, and an expansion of the successful Kindy Uplift program.

Schools across the region will also benefit from infrastructure investment, with $85m invested in 2023/24 to maintain, improve, and upgrade schools right across the region.

Today the Minister will also join the Member for Nicklin Rob Skelton to announce a $14.6 million state-of-the-art multi-purpose hall for Yandina State School, one of 18 halls announced in this year’s budget.

Yandina’s new hall joins an almost $10 million project already underway to upgrade classrooms at the school, with the new facilities set to support the growing school community.

This year’s record infrastructure spend builds on a strong foundation of investment in schools across the Sunshine Coast, with six new schools opened since 2015 and more than $830 million invested in total.

Other new projects include refurbishing the resource centre at Beerwah SS, and a new playground at Montville SS. Work will also continue on existing projects including the halls at Noosa District SHS’s Pomona campus, Buderim Mountain SS, and Burnside SHS, and the administration upgrades at Glenview SS and North Arm SS.

Quotes attributable to Education Minister Grace Grace:

“The Palaszczuk Government will always invest in education: it’s in our DNA.

“We are making kindy free for every family in Queensland, we’re expanding school breakfast clubs, and we are delivering record infrastructure investment for schools right across the Sunshine Coast.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt:

“I’m proud the Palaszczuk Government continues to deliver for the Sunshine Coast.

“Whether it’s free kindy for every Queensland family, new schools such as Baringa State Secondary College or Nirimba Primary School in my electorate, or upgrades to existing facilities, the Palaszczuk Government is committed to giving our kids the best start in life.”

 Quotes attributable to Member for Nicklin Rob Skelton:

“The announcement of a new $14.6 million new multi-purpose hall for Yandina SS in the State Budget is welcomed by both the school and the wider community.

“Adding to the almost $10 million investment in additional classrooms at the school, Yandina’s campus will be transformed over the coming years.”

Quotes attributable to Yandina SS Principal Michael Cookman:

“Yandina State School is excited for our new multi-purpose hall which will support our growing school community to deliver a wide range of both sporting and cultural activities for students.

“The multi-purpose hall will be a much-needed asset that will not only benefit our school, but also the wider Yandina Community.”

ENDS

Media contact – Daniel Webb – 0438 401 078