Nationals' Mallee candidate Anne Webster has announced her party would commit $845,000 towards a childcare facility in Murtoa if reelected in May, a funding promise many in the town have been seeking for the past three years.

The proposed centre would provide 30 childcare spaces for the combined communities of Murtoa, Minyip and Rupanyup, which have been without early childcare for several years.

The funding promise has come as a welcome surprise for the group of parents in the town campaigning for a childcare centre in the town.

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A Murtoa parent, who asked not to be named, said they were now looking for a matching commitment from the Labor Party, to secure the funding regardless of which party wins the election.

"What we do recognised is that should they (Nationals) not be elected, we are back to square one," they said.

"What we would like to see is the Labor candidate Carole Hart come to Murtoa and also hear our story - and perhaps match the funding.

"That would take it out of the political area and make it about providing essential services to our community."

A spokesperson for Ms Hart said it was too early to say whether Labor would match the funding if elected.

Murota farmer and father-of-two John Hamilton welcomed the funding commitment, which he said would take the strain off parents having to travel to receive childcare.

Mr Hamiltion, whose wife works as a nurse in Rupanyup, has one child at childcare in Horsham and another in kindergarten in Murtoa.

He said the everyday commute between the towns took up valuable hours and piled on extra costs.

"There are time constraints of driving back from Murtoa to Horsham. It wouldn't be uncommon for us to be driving two hours a day to drop off for childcare," he said.

"Childcare in Murtoa would allow me to work more hours with more flexibility.

"It just allows more flexibility and opportunity for people to work. There are a lot of people here who are skilled.

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"Being a rural area, there are a lot of people who have married into the area with skills that are just going to waste."

Dr Webster visited Murtoa Kindergarten following the funding announcement to meet with parents.

In a previous forum with the town's parents, Dr Webster suggested that Yarriambiack Shire put in an application to the federal government's $20 million Community Child Care Funding grant program, included in the 2022 federal budget.

However, Dr Webster said the competitive grant process, which would begin in June would take too long for the town - and instead proposed to fund the facility through Community Development Grants.

"Sometimes grant schemes aren't quick enough. In this particular one, I met with the team back in 2021," she said.

"The need was clear and evident then. It has been a very slow process to get to where we need to go.

"Probably because I like things done yesterday and I am really pleased that it took a fight, but we got there.

"The $845,000 is being added to the council funding, which means that this community can have childcare as soon as possible."

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