Deegaanka Hopetoun ee Victoria ayaa laba sano ahayd meel aan la helin adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka
Deegaanka Hopetoun ee gobolka Victoria, Australia, ayaa muddo ka badan laba sano ahayd meel aan la helin adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka, kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha iyo khaladaadka dhismaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada deegaanka.
Sababta dhismaha la xiray
Xarunta ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka ee Hopetoun Uniting Early Learning ayaa xirnaatay bishii April 2024, kadib markii khaladaadka shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas. Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka.
Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka. Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas. Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka.
Xaaladda hadda jirta
Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas. Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka. Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas.
Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas. Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka. Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas.
Dadka deegaanka oo codsaday in la taageero
Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas. Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka. Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas.
Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas. Sidaas darteed, deegaanka ayaa ka baxay adeegga ciyaaraha barwaaqo-sooranka. Xarunta dowladda ee deegaanka ayaa xirnaatay kadib markii xaaladaha shaqaalaha ay saameeyeen adeegyada Uniting Vic Tas.
Families in Hopetoun, a rural community 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, have been without a childcare service for more than two years after a burst water pipe destroyed the council-owned centre and workforce shortages forced the original provider to close in April 2024.
A broken building and a stalled rebuild
Hopetoun Uniting Early Learning closed in April 2024 when Uniting Vic Tas could no longer staff the centre, leaving the town without any early years service. In 2025, Emerge Early Years stepped in to deliver kindergarten and child care from a council-owned building, but a burst water pipe caused severe structural damage that forced another closure.
Engineering assessments confirmed the site requires extensive stabilisation works, with the ground needing approximately 18 months to dry out before any repairs can begin. After that period, an additional 24 weeks of compaction and finishing work will be required, meaning the facility could remain closed for up to two years without state government assistance.
Kindergarten displaced while families wait
Kindergarten programs were temporarily relocated to the Hopetoun Senior Citizens building, displacing seniors who had been using the facility. The council-owned centre was declared unsafe after extensive water damage, mould and structural deterioration were uncovered, and the Department of Education said there were no relocatable facilities available.
There are 27 children enrolled in kindergarten this year, with strong enrolment projections for next year, and at least 15 families had already expressed interest in childcare places before services were due to reopen. The Department of Education said responsibility for childcare funding and provision rests with the Commonwealth, and that investment in an alternative solution was not currently under consideration.
Community voices and political pressure
Yarriambiack Shire Mayor Andrew McLean said he was outraged that a rural community could be left in this position, calling the situation unacceptable for children, teachers and educators. He wants to see a new integrated early years facility developed on the Hopetoun P-12 College site, or a demolition and rebuild on the damaged council-owned site with joint funding from council insurance and government support.
Member for Mildura Jade Benham said she had been told by the Department of Education that a $2.5 million rebuild was not justified. Residents like Heather Sherwell from Beulah have seen their partners reduce work hours and families endure long travel times, with the absence of childcare affecting workforce participation and the long-term future of the community.
Ilaha iyo xuquuqda sawirka
Sawir: ABC Australia Xigasho
