Hundreds of families in the New England region are closer to fee-free early learning, with contracts awarded to deliver three new public preschools.
Each public preschool will be co-located with an existing public primary school, making drop-off and pick up easier for busy families and helping children transition into kindergarten with confidence.
As the biggest expansion of public preschools in the state's history, the NSW Government's rollout of 100 more public preschools will provide access to high quality early learning for up to 9,000 children across NSW by 2027. Of the 100 new public preschools, 51 are metropolitan Sydney and 49 are in regional NSW, prioritised in areas of highest need based on a rigorous selection process.
The three public preschools will be built at:
- Warialda Public School
- Toomelah Public School
- Hillvue Public School
Once open, the three sites will cater for up to 200 local children a week.
Lipman Construction Pty Ltd will deliver the public preschools at Warialda and Hillvue public schools, with construction expected to begin later this year. Contracts for the public preschool at Toomelah Public School will be awarded later this year.
Doors will open for all three public preschools by early 2027.
They will join the recently opened Gulyangarri Public Preschool in Liverpool - the first new public preschool built in NSW in almost 20 years.
This is part of the Minns Labor Government's record investment to rapidly expand the provision of public preschool in NSW, funded by our record investment in the 2024-25 Budget.
This historic investment is a major turnaround from the former Liberal National Government, who didn't build a single public preschool in 12 years.
Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:
"Access to preschool can be difficult for young families, particularly in regional areas, which is why we are delivering three new public preschools in the New England region.
"The Minns Labor Government, with the advocacy of Deputy Premier Prue Car, is committed to improving access to free, quality public preschool for our youngest learners because we know how crucial early learning is for a child's development.
"The former Liberal National government failed to deliver for young families in the regions and didn't build a single new public preschool while in office.
"The Minns Labor Government made this historic commitment to deliver the biggest expansion in public preschools in NSW's history because we strongly believe all children should have access to high-quality early education, no matter their postcode."
Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty said:
"Early learning is a vital first step in a child's education and these new fee-free preschools will help our regional communities thrive.
"With 49 new public preschools across regional NSW, this historic investment is a major turning point for regional families after years of neglect by the former Liberal National Government who failed to invest in public preschools.
"Families in our regions deserve access to high-quality early learning and I am proud to see the Minns Labor Government continuing to make significant investment in regional communities."
Warialda Public School Principal Tracey Digby said:
"The start of construction for our new preschool will be an exciting step forward for the Warialda community.
"A free preschool providing quality education on site will improve transition to school for our Kindergarten children, improve learning outcomes and offer convenience for parents."
Toomelah Public School Executive Principal Matt Jackman said:
"Our community is looking forward to having a public preschool on the same site as Toomelah Public School.
"It will support local families to access quality early childhood education, and we're eager to see the facilities take shape once the contract is awarded later this year."
Hillvue Public School Principal Jayne Johnson said:
"This is a wonderful opportunity for our families across the Tamworth community.
"Our new preschool will provide greater access and support for our young children as they transition to Kindergarten. We are very excited to welcome our newest learners and support the beginning of their learning journey."
