City of Ballarat awards $6.4m Alfredton Community Hub contract

The City of Ballarat has awarded a $6.4m contract for a west Ballarat development. See the details.

A new kindergarten for nearly 100 young learners in west Ballarat is expected to be up and running next year as the region’s population steadily rises.

The Ballarat council voted at its meeting on Wednesday evening to award a $6.46m contract to Ballarat-based company CIQ Construction Management for the building of the Alfredton Community Hub.

Councillor Daniel Moloney said it was “recognition of a growing community”.

“Alfredton is one of our fast growing communities: it's up there with Winter Valley and Lucas,” he said.

“... The need for a community hub, especially in offering kinder services in particular to that young growing population is important.”

The centre on Donegal Dr will include a 99-place kindergarten with three preschool rooms, two community rooms, a meeting room, and staff areas.

Tenders opened for the project in late November 2022, and there were two respondents within about a month.

A rendition of the Alfredton Community Hub. Picture: Ballarat council

The council hopes the centre will cater for a growing number of young families and associated demand for early schooling and daycare.

It has forecast that in the 15 years from 2021, there will be a 65 per cent increase in west Ballarat births and a fourfold increase in homes built in the suburbs of Cardigan, Lucas, and Bunkers Hill.

The state government has contributed $2.25m for the Alfredton hub, the City of Ballarat making up the remainder with money from its Ballarat West Development Contributions Plan.

The centre is expected to open in 2024.