Mackay Child Care Centre under threat as Council redevelops waterfront

Oct 27, 2020

Save

The Mackay Child Care Centre, located in Tropical North Queensland, may not be a part of Mackay Regional Council’s redevelopment of the town’s city centre and waterfront area, with the Council saying it does not intend to renew the service lease, which ends in 2021.

Using federal funding to open in 1975, the decision to not renew the lease for the service has drawn criticism from Federal Education Minister, Dan Tehan, who the ABC reports as not agreeing with the request for the termination of the leasing agreement, sharing the following statement from a spokesperson for Mr Tehan:

\"Minister Tehan has confirmed in writing to the council the intent of the capital grant was to support the provision of childcare in Mackay, and the Minister did not agree with the request for termination of the agreement.\"

Speaking with the ABC, the centre's committee secretary Lorrae Pinner said the service had become “an iconic part of Mackay” and was well known by locals.

The not-for-profit centre began operating on River Street in 1975, however its roots go even deeper, with the service first beginning as a childminding association in the Town Hall in the 1940s.

Speaking on behalf of the Council, organisational services director Kylie Lamb said there were now about 40 childcare centres in Mackay, including a mix of commercial and not-for-profit sites, and that the building housing the service was now 50 years old and “has reached its end of life and is no longer suitable for its current use.\"

Ms Lamb told the ABC that the Council was in discussions with Mr Tehan’s office in relation to the future of the site.

Children’s centre president, Nicole Watson, shared the committee’s intention to explore all available options with the Council, such as purchasing the building, or working with the Council to find a new location.

To access the original coverage of this story, please see here.

Don’t miss a thing

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

More than 100 regulatory officers conducted unannounced inspections at over 220 early learning services in a single-day compliance operation, as the NSW Early Learning Commission intensifies oversight across the sector.

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

In February the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal handled two separate disciplinary proceedings brought by the CEO of the Department of Communities against out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) providers. Both cases highlight critical failures in active supervision, particularly concerning highly vulnerable children diagnosed with autism who managed to wander away from their respective services unnoticed.

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Water safety remains at the forefront of national concern, as drowning continues to be the leading cause of accidental death for children aged 0-4.

Prime childcare and medical investment opportunity hits the market in Thornhill Park

A permit-approved early learning and medical asset in Melbourne’s west is set to test investor appetite for secure income, long-term leases and value-add potential in a high-growth corridor.

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice