Hundreds of families across the New England region are set to benefit from the biggest expansion of public preschools in New South Wales history, with contracts awarded to deliver three new public preschool facilities in the New England.

Originally announced in Februrary last year, the new preschools will be co-located with existing public primary schools at Warialda, Toomelah, and Hillvue, creating seamless access for families and easing the transition for young learners starting their educational journey.

Once completed, the three preschools will provide places for up to 200 local children each week and offer fee-free early childhood education close to home.

The initiative is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to build 100 new public preschools by 2027, giving up to 9,000 children across the state access to high-quality early learning. Of the 100 preschools being built, 49 are in regional areas, with sites selected based on a rigorous assessment of community need.

Construction on the Warialda and Hillvue public preschools is expected to begin later this year, with Lipman Construction Pty Ltd awarded the contract for both sites. The contract for Toomelah Public School will be awarded later in 2025. All three preschools are expected to open their doors to students by early 2027.

Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty said the investment will help regional communities thrive.

“Early learning is a vital first step in a child’s education and these new fee-free preschools will help our regional communities thrive,” Moriarty said.

“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.”

The announcement was welcomed by local school leaders, who highlighted the benefits of having preschools located within existing school communities.

Warialda Public School Principal Tracey Digby said the development would be a major boost for families in the region.

“The start of construction for our new preschool will be an exciting step forward for the Warialda community,” she said.

“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 the preschool would provide vital support to local families.

“Our community is looking forward to having a public preschool on the same site as Toomelah Public School,” Jackman said.

“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 the new preschool would play an important role in helping children start school with confidence.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our families across the Tamworth community,” she said.

“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.”