Country community welcomes new ECEC build that has been a decade in the making

A small country town in north-western New South Wales, with a population of 856 at last count, has welcomed news that a major employer in the town, Idemitsu Coal Boggabri, will construct a childcare centre in the town, with the six-month build expected to start in May, local news source The Northern Daily Leader has reported.

Construction company Greg Bartlett Construction will build the facility, which was designed by Hill Lockart Architects, who will manage the construction process. 

Local resident Catherine Collyer welcomed the news, telling The Northern Daily Leader that many locals have been working tirelessly for nearly a decade to secure an early childhood education and care facility in the town.

The build, she said, will not only benefit families in the region, but also have a wider effect on the community as a whole, attracting more residents to the area. 

To be located centrally in Boggabri, the building will provide long day care as well as before and after school care for children in the region. Having care within the town will alleviate pressure on residents who are currently travelling to the neighbouring towns of Narrabri and Gunnedah to access care, an 80 minute round trip, for child-care. 

Having a childcare facility in the town will also support those studying early childhood education and care in the region, relieving some of the pressure faced by centres in surrounding towns to open up for professional learning placements. 

Ms Collyer praised Idemitsu Coal Boggabri for their vision in opening the facility, saying it was a demonstration of how companies can respond to the needs of a local community. 

Should the service meet all regulatory requirements and be granted approval to open, it will be operated by Nurruby Children’s Services, a community-based organisation, which operates children’s services in Narrabri and Wee Waa.

To read the original coverage of this story, as produced by Jacinta Dickins for The Northern Daily Leader, please see here.