The Building Blocks Partnership committed up to $14.62 million in 2026 to four Catholic-co-located kindergarten projects, plus two planning grants, across regional Victoria. The sites cluster around Greater Shepparton, Baranduda near Wodonga, North Bendigo and Huntly. Three of the four sit inside the Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood portfolio, which makes the diocese property team the single most concentrated point of modular kindergarten demand in regional Victoria this cycle.
If you are a head contractor pricing one of these sites, or a parish property manager scoping a modular kinder, the program window is tight. Templated one, two and three-room modular kindergartens are the construction method most likely to hit occupancy inside the funding timeline. This guide lays out the pipeline, the delivery logic, and where EcoPrestige plugs in as the supplier behind your build.
The Sandhurst Building Blocks pipeline, site by site
Huntly is the clearest example. The Victorian School Building Authority is delivering it under the Building Blocks Partnership with Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood Education and Care. Stage one opens in 2027 with a single room for 33 children at a time. A second room follows in 2028, doubling capacity to 66 places. The same staged pattern applies across the North Bendigo, Baranduda and Greater Shepparton sites: build the first room to open, design for the second.
For the full funding scope and deadlines, see our VIC Building Blocks 2026-27 capital works guide. This post focuses on what the pipeline means for the builder holding the head contract.
Why modular fits the regional VIC kinder brief
Three things make modular the default answer on these sites. First, program: a standardised one, two or three-room template can compress the build by around 30 percent against a conventional program, which matters when a room has a fixed 2027 or 2028 opening. Second, repeatability: parish sites often share a template, so one approved design can serve several kinders. Third, certainty: the module leaves the factory certified, with an Occupancy Certificate pathway and an NCC Class 9b classification correct for an early learning centre.
The structural system is heavy-duty steel, fabricated offshore under Australian engineering, Australian QA and Australian NCC compliance oversight, so the regional location of the site never dictates the quality of the box that lands on it. EcoPrestige runs 50,000 square metres of offsite production feeding Australian projects.
The scope split on a parish site
The scope split is what keeps these projects clean. EcoPrestige supplies the structural steel modules, external cladding, windows and doors, bathrooms, flooring, services rough-in and the NCC documentation, delivered with a 12-year structural warranty and a 12-month materials and fitout warranty. The builder holds the site: piers, civil works, service connections, acoustic and childproof fencing to AS 1926.1, landscaping and play area, crane and bolt-down, site management and OH&S. EcoPrestige coordinates the install but does not carry install responsibility. On Catholic-title land that separation matters, because property ownership sits with the parish while the head contract sits with you.
Pricing and program reference
Modular ELC supply runs around $2,200 to $2,300 per square metre, quoted ex-GST with ocean freight included and locked before production starts. For how that converts to a cost per place across states, see the modular childcare cost per place guide and the broader modular construction cost guide. For the delivery sequence from engagement to OC, see the modular construction timeline guide, and for how a certified module satisfies a building surveyor, the Evidence of Suitability guide. Builders new to the model should start at the modular buildings for builders page and the modular childcare centres hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much Building Blocks funding is committed to these regional sites?
The Building Blocks Partnership committed up to $14.62 million in 2026 across four Catholic-co-located kindergarten projects plus two planning grants in regional Victoria.
Which towns are in the Sandhurst kindergarten pipeline?
Greater Shepparton, Baranduda near Wodonga, North Bendigo and Huntly. Three of the four sites sit inside the Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood portfolio.
When does the Huntly kindergarten open?
Stage one opens in 2027 with one room for 33 children. A second room follows in 2028, doubling capacity to 66 places.
Why choose modular for a regional Victorian kindergarten?
A standardised one, two or three-room template can compress the program by around 30 percent, delivers a Class 9b certified module and provides an Occupancy Certificate pathway.
What does EcoPrestige supply versus the builder?
EcoPrestige supplies the structural steel modules, cladding, windows, bathrooms, flooring, services rough-in and NCC documentation. The builder holds the site: civils, connections, fencing, landscaping, crane and install.
Is a module compliant if it is fabricated offshore?
Yes. Modules are fabricated offshore under Australian engineering, Australian QA and Australian NCC compliance oversight, and are delivered with an Occupancy Certificate pathway.
Get the builder pack
Builders, developers and architects can request the EcoPrestige builder pack for module specs, scope split and indicative pricing. Get the builder pack or email us at info@ecoprestige.com.au to discuss your project.