$14.9m for Corio kids hub

A NEW $14.9 million integrated child and family centre will be built in Corio.

The City of Greater Geelong has decided to award construction tenders next month, as it eyes an opening of the new facility in early 2020.

It will provide 91 child care places, 66 sessional kindergarten places, a toy library and a range of maternal and child health suites.

The consolidated complex will lead to the closure of six sites in Corio and Norlane.

Among them is the Corio City Learning and Care, which will be demolished.

The long heritage of the kindergarten, which has operated for more than 50 years, will be recognised with a marker at the new Purnell Rd complex.

“It’s important to us that the significant contribution of the current and former committees of management and staff … is acknowledged and remembered,” acting mayor Peter Murrihy said.

The old kindergarten land is set to become public open space. The council is designing a new sensory play area for the site, which it will consider funding in its 2019-20 budget.

The Purnell Rd facility will be built next to Northern Bay College’s Wexford Court campus. It will be designed to enable integration and shared entry to the school, with the council keen to see the public allowed access to the school oval.

VicRoads will be asked to introduce a 40km/h speed limit in Purnell Rd.

With 1482 children under the age of five, the CorioNorlane area has the second largest population of kids in the City of Greater Geelong.