Monash Council is partnering with the Victorian Government to build a modern new facility at Dover Street Preschool (19 Dover Street, Oakleigh East). The upgrade will allow the facility to provide two 33-place kindergarten rooms to meet the current and future needs of the community.

As part of the Victorian Government’s funded kindergarten reforms for three- and four-year-old children, Dover Street Preschool was identified as a facility that could be rebuilt to provide more kindergarten places.

Upon project completion, the new facility will include

• two 33-place kindergarten rooms
• an outdoor learning environment
• staff working spaces and amenities.

The Victorian Government will take temporary possession of the site throughout the build and will manage demolition and construction works.

The project includes the demolition of the current building and construction of a modern, modular facility, designed to meet all the needs of a high-quality kindergarten. The new facility will be constructed offsite and transported to Dover Street. Using this offsite construction method means that a lot of the work involved in the project can be done beforehand, limiting the disruption to residents and families enrolled in the kindergarten.

The outdoor learning environment will be constructed on the northern side of the site, making better use of the sloping block and the existing trees.

Dover Street Preschool will close for works at the end of Term 2, 2024.

The Ballarat Y (the service that runs the kindergarten) will be relocating the service to the new Oakleigh South Child and Family Hub at 1228 North Road, Oakleigh South. The hub will operate as the base for Dover Street Preschool in Terms 3 and 4 in 2024.

Children will return to the brand-new facility at Dover Street Preschool in Term 1 2025.

Consultation with key stakeholders, including service providers and service users is being undertaken to inform the design of Monash early years facilities.