Progress on Stage 11 of Broome’s Waranyjarri Estate continues to gather momentum with the latest milestone being the release of 33 new residential lots and the announcement by the West Australian Government that it is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers to develop a new service to care for the community. 

The proposed site of the new ECEC service will be adjacent to a primary school, presenting an opportunity for developers and providers to capitalise on the growing population of the Kimberley region of WA. 

WA Housing and Lands Minister John Carey and Community Services Minister Simone McGurk announced the release, seeking “experienced proponents” for the development of a new ECEC option in the estate, to be constructed on the corner of Yako Mall and Shingoro Street, on the commercial site adjacent to the existing Broome North Primary School.

“This is an exciting milestone for the development of Broome North, with the childcare centre expected to play an important role in building the social infrastructure for the community and delivering educational outcomes for future generations,” Ms McGurk said.

“A new centre will not only provide a place for local children to learn, play and grow, but importantly it will also allow more parents to return to work.

On completion, the new facility will help meet the demand for additional childcare services among local families in Broome North – and in the broader Broome community. It is expected the new centre could offer up to 90 childcare places.

A national Request for Proposal process has been launched for the development of the childcare site, and can be viewed here. 

The release of Stage 11 comes as final works commence on Tanami Drive, the main road through the centre of Waranyjarri Estate. The works will complete this major distributor road, improving vehicle and pedestrian access to the estate.

Waranyjarri Estate is WA’s only EnviroDevelopment and Waterwise accredited regional development – with a focus on clever, climate-responsive design, to support sustainable community living. It is expected to provide homes for around 1,400 new residents.

Waranyjarri is the first neighbourhood to be developed and delivered as part of the wider Broome North development, which is planned to include 4,800 new homes for up to 13,000 new residents.