Healthy at kindergarten
Grace Berglund Kindergarten in Warragul has been recognised by the State Government for creating a healthy environment for staff, students, families and the wider community.
The kinder recently completed all areas of the “Early Childhood Services Achievement Program” – a Victorian Government scheme that encourages organisations to take leadership in the community in various high priority health areas including; healthy eating and oral health, mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, safe environments, sun protection and education on tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
Complying with all the benchmarks of the program, Grace Berglund is now recognised formally as a leader in the community in promoting healthy environments. The accreditation has been three years in the making and has been supported along the way with the support and guidance of the West Gippsland Healthcare Group.
While schools and kinders generally promote healthy lives for their students, four-year-old kinder teacher Pauline Whyte said that achieving the benchmarks required for accreditation focussed the kinder’s attention to healthy living.
“We have always advocated health to our students, however having a set of guidelines to comply with has really increased everyone’s – from students, to teachers and parents – attention on all the things that make up a healthy lifestyle,” Pauline said.
Upon completion of the program, organisations such as Grace Bergland can show the community their credentials by displaying a sign showing the key health categories that they have been accredited in. Pauline and West Gippsland Health’s representative Angela Greenall were assisted in putting up Grace Berglund’s sign by students Georgia Sharp, Luca Pitisano and Dylan Bawden.
Local educational facilities or other organisations with inquiries about completing the program can call Angela on 5624 3545
A decision whether off-street car parking be developed in Trinca Lane, Warragul, that runs behind commercial premises between Queen St and the railway line, has again been referred to the “future”.
Successive Baw Baw Shire councils have wrestled with the idea for at least 11 years.
The outcome of the latest consideration, instigated by council in April this year, was to refer it to a future but unspecified “council budget process”.
A report to the recent council meeting pointed to costs, difficulties in reaching an agreement involving council, State-owned VicTrack and private landowners.
VicRoads had previously raised issues of eastbound traffic entering Trinca Lane from Princes Way and west-bound vehicles, especially larger one, negotiating a sharp hairpin turn into the lane.
The complexities of ownership of various parcels of land that would be needed were highlighted by Cr Danny Goss who said before any action could be taken a “proper feasibility study” needed to be done.
Cr Joe Gauci said the report to council “cleared up a few things” and that it “may be somewhere we go in the future”.
Since Baw Baw council started looking at the possibility of off-street car parking in Trinca Lane it spent an estimated $100,000 on basic reconstruction of the roadway and another $100,000 on landscaping to improve “visual amenity for train travellers”.