Kindy grants to give local tradies a boost

Local businesses and tradies are set to be big winners from the Marshall Liberal Government’s $37 million school and preschool maintenance boost, announced in Tuesday’s budget.

The stimulus package provides a grant of $30,000 for every preschool in South Australia, as well as grants of between $20,000 and $100,000 for government schools, to engage local tradespeople to deliver priority maintenance works on their site.

The funding builds on the $16 million already allocated annually to school and preschool minor works, taking the total investment in education maintenance projects this year to $53 million.

Premier Steven Marshall said the government was backing business and jobs in this year’s budget.

“Our preschool and school tradies package will see steel caps, hard hats, hi-vis and overalls all over our state over the next two years,” Premier Marshall said.

“These grants will create hundreds of jobs for our local tradies, support local businesses and significantly boost our economy.

“It is all part of our plan to keep South Australia safe and strong throughout the greatest economic challenge of our time, by creating jobs, backing business and building what matters.”

Earlier this year, all 380 government preschools received a $20,000 grant as part of a $7.6 million package to assist with the economic recovery from COVID-19.

Lady George Kindergarten in Highgate used their funds to engage a local landscaping business, which specialises in nature play, to deliver an outdoor education upgrade that includes a new trapeze, fire pit and mud kitchen.

Education Minister John Gardner said another round of grants would be welcomed by preschools across the state.

“This investment will provide our preschools with the opportunity to deliver much-needed maintenance work at their site, while delivering an important economic stimulus at a time when many tradespeople have been doing it tough,” said Minister Gardner.

“It is great to see Lady George Kindergarten, for example, engaging a local landscaper to deliver a project that may otherwise have not been able to be delivered.

“I am sure that our schools and preschools will have no shortage of projects to undertake with this funding, and local tradies will be excited to deliver them.”

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