Traralgon ECEC service to go ahead after La Trobe City Council meeting

The regional Victorian city of Traralgon will soon have early childhood education and care (ECEC) places for an additional 120 children after La Trobe City Council approved a planning permit earlier this month. 

Relating to property on Burns St Traralgon, the permit outlines plans for a single storey service which would support children birth to five years of age, along with parking for 26 cars, a sound reducing fence of nearly two metres, and appropriate signage. 

Research from the Mitchell Institute indicates that between 2.52 and 3.99 children compete for each ECEC place in Traralgon and surrounding areas.

The population of children under six years of age in the community is growing, with some projections anticipating that there will be a 17 per cent increase in the number of children in that age bracket from 2023 to 2040. 

Despite its eventual approval, the proposal was not without debate, with ten official objections to the proposed development. Major concerns related to traffic congestion, street safety, the conformity of the building facade, the impact of noise on neighbours, trees being removed, the impact on property values, and the impact on local business. 

Some local councillors voted in opposition of the build, saying there was a need for ECEC services but “we need them in better locations.” A tenant for the service has yet to be secured, however it is likely that standard hours will be followed and that the service would open from 6:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday, and would be closed on public holidays. 

Local media coverage of this story is available here.