General News
21 February, 2026
New kindergarten earmarked for Ararat West
ARARAT is set to benefit from additional kindergarten places with a new facility earmarked for the grounds of a local school. Member for Ripon Martha Haylett visited Ararat West Primary School last Friday to announce the school is one of ten across Victoria to soon host a kindergarten on the same site.
Ms Haylett said funding has been approved for the new kindergarten which will cater for Ararat’s growing population.
Co-locating kindergartens on school sites has been a successful formula in recent years and has been rolled out in other locations in western Victoria including St Arnaud, Wedderburn and Clunes.
“Kindergarten is so critical to the development of our kids and we want to see a beautiful new facility here at Ararat West,” Ms Haylett said.
“There are great options with kindergartens here in Ararat but it’s even better to have one on the site of a primary school.
“There is so much growth here in Ararat and we want the growth to be even more significant in the future. It’s such a fantastic town to live in and work in and we want to encourage as many young families to call it home and announcements like this make it a bit easier for families,” Ms Haylett said.
“It’s all about helping thousands of families get time back in their day and avoid the dreaded double drop-off.”
Principal Terry Keilar said the kindergarten will be a great benefit for local students and families.
“We think it is a great opportunity to increase our infrastructure, what our school looks like and what we have to offer here at the facilities. We look forward to the opportunity,” Mr Keilar said.
Ms Haylett said the budget for the new development and projected enrolment figures will be determined in coming months.
Planning for for the new kindergarten at Ararat West will commence later this year.
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