Tipalea Partners expands Tasmanian presence with DA submission to Sorell Council

Developer Tipalea Partners has announced that it will lodge a development application with Tasmania’s Sorell Council to build Sorell Childcare, a 110 place long day care service. 

It marks Tipalea’s second long day care project in Tasmania, following DA approval for a new 116-place daycare centre near Glebe Hill Village shopping centre in Howrah. 

The DA responds to research showing a growing demand for long day care in south- east Tasmania. With only 309 long day care places available in the Sorell and Dodges Ferry region, despite a population of 968 children under five years of age, estimated occupancy rates have surged to over 90 per cent and sit well above the Tasmanian average.

Demand for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Sorell is also tipped to rise in line with the increasing local population as several new residential estates near completion, including Pawleena Park and Sorell Estate. The local community is expected to grow over 10 per cent by 2028, representing an increase of over 2,200 people.

“Long day care vacancies are limited in Sorell, with many children on extensive waiting lists for the area’s existing childcare centres,” Jack Hunter, Development Manager at Tipalea Partners said.

“Working parents can find themselves waiting for over a year before their child receives a place.”

Located at the junction of the Tasman and Arthur Highways, the service aims to ‘set a new standard for childcare’ with bespoke architectural design by award-winning firm Brown Falconer and interactive public art.

The public art ideas for the service are driven by a concept called  “I Hear You”, which has drawn inspiration from other public facilities around the world. It is a sculptural form designed to enable communication between two children; it’s bright, colourful and interactive and engages various senses, while the design will likely reference local plant life, Mr Hunter explained.

The proposed plans also include a full-service kitchen and almost 1,000 square metres of dedicated outdoor play space, with the building itself embracing what Brown Falconer calls “a contemporary barn aesthetic” which will sit comfortably in the surrounding landscape.

“Both form and materiality offer a warm, homely and human scale while also fostering engaging learning environments, internally and externally,” a spokesperson for the architecture firm said. 

The feature gable roof forms, strategically placed at both the main entrance and significant street facing façade, create visual continuity from multiple vantage points integrating the development further into the growing residential area.

Pending DA approval, construction on Sorell Childcare is expected to commence later this year, with new centre expected to welcome its first placements in late 2025.

Learn more about Sorell Childcare here.