Million dollar upgrade to Bellerive centre upgrade

Children in the Tasmanian community of Clarence will benefit from recent upgrades and extensions to an early childhood education and care (ECEC) facility in Bellerive which will allow further opportunities for after school care. 

The facility, on Alma Street in Bellerive, has now more than doubled its capacity from 20 children to 45 children, to further support local families. The centre will also serve all registered Family Day Care groups for morning activities and host several School Holiday programs.

The new centre includes two large ‘wings’ each designed for specific age groups and compliment the seasons and time of day.

Morning users of the centre will enjoy the early sunshine and views toward Kangaroo Bay and kunanyi/Mt. Wellington. Their main space opens via large sliding doors to a private play deck incorporating an accessible sand pit. This area is designed around a deciduous tree which, in time, will provide shade during summer and act as a signifier of seasonal change for children to observe.

Spaces for older children are larger and more robust in design, with direct connection to covered and fully external play areas crafted for a variety of active and passive play including water play, sports and other activities. All spaces are purposefully designed to be nurturing, to foster interaction, conversations and learning, to stimulate curiosity and the senses, and create a positive environment for children to interact.

The upgrade, Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley said, is “just the beginning’ of the council’s work to address the ECEC shortage in the region.

“This is part of our commitment to local working families who we know are struggling to access after school care in Clarence,” the Mayor said.

“We are also in the process of reviewing other services and exploring opportunities to expand existing services to serve our growing community.”

The design of the centre, the Mayor continued, has been designed to engage and inspire the minds of children, as well as to be compliant with regulations, and have contemporary requirements in mind. 

“This work is part of our core strategic initiatives which look at ways in which Council can help and support Clarence families and consider the real needs of our community both now and into the future,” he said.

“Already this centre has received an overwhelming number of enquiries from families, which speaks to the level of demand and we hope to be able to continue developing services such as these in the coming years.”