Cobar Early Learning Centre nears completion

An early childhood education and care (ECEC) facility in the central New South Wales community of Cobar, is nearing completion, and should be open by the end of August, providing additional places for the regional community. 

 

To be located on Brennan Street, the service will provide 88 ECEC places, a significant boost from the current council-run facility on Bourke Street, Kubby House Childcare Centre, which educates and cares for 31 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years across two spaces.

 

The existing space, service leader Amy Curpen said, “hasn’t kept up with community needs.” 

 

“We currently have quite a long waitlist,” Ms Curpen shared with local news source Western Plains App.

 

“It’s between 80 and 100,” she continued. “For most of them, one of the parents will probably have to stay at home and look after the children.”

 

For the local mayor, Jarrod Marsden, the provision of more ECEC for the town is “a massive issue” and removing the extensive waiting lists is a priority. 

 

“It’s only the final touches that are going on at the moment. It’s all but done, there’s a little bit of finish work and a bit of clean up. Put the furniture in and away we go,” he said.

 

“The official opening will depend on the availability of the politicians obviously, but it’ll be physically open and doing business.”

 

The project design plans outline classrooms and office spaces organised around a central courtyard, which will serve as a playspace, as well as a children’s library, and shared use spaces which will be available to the community out of hours. 

 

Mayor Marsden said the previous ECEC facility will be refurbished and repurposed, with one option being a venue to provide outside school hours care. 

Access the local coverage of this story here. Image source: DunnHillam