MinRes officially opens Osborne Park service, catering for 106 children

Freya Lucas

Feb 18, 2025

Save

Mineral Resources (MinRes) has officially opened its early learning centre, located next door to its headquarters in Osborne Park, Western Australia.

The service will educate and care for 106 children on weekdays, and features four large outdoor environments with playgrounds inspired by the equipment used at MinRes’ iron ore and lithium mines in the Pilbara and Goldfields regions of WA, as well as an on-site kitchen with an in-house chef, and a parenting room.

Offered at a subsidised price to families, the service operates on a cost neutral basis, and gives children the opportunity to participate in activities such as yoga, cooking and the arts. The program of learning is play based and aligns with the approved learning frameworks with an emphasis on community and relationship-building.

According to MinRes, the early learning centre is the first on-site early learning service in WA to be run in-house by an employer, with MinRes director people and safety Andrea Chapman saying the centre “makes it easier for working parents to find a work-life balance” as they ease back into work after being on parental leave.

“This is the latest step in our ongoing commitment to provide world-class workplaces, investing in wellbeing initiatives that support our people to be their best,” Ms Chapman said.

Aside from early learning and creche, the centre also offers school holiday services for children up to 12 years old.

Don’t miss a thing

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

Early childhood educators have one of the most important jobs in Australia. We trust them to keep our kids safe, to educate them in their most formative years, and to care for them when we can’t do it ourselves. And far too often, educators are doing it all on empty.

Workforce planning in ECEC: from compliance requirement to strategic advantage

With workforce pressures continuing across early childhood education and care (ECEC), a structured approach to workforce planning is emerging as a critical leadership tool, not simply an administrative exercise.

National Early Childhood Worker Register: commencing 27 February 2026

The introduction of the National Early Childhood Worker Register from the 27 February, has signalled a significant shift in workforce oversight across early childhood education and care (ECEC).