Concerns for the future of Beechworth Kinder after EOI sought for service provision

Concerns have been raised by local media about the future of early learning at both Beechworth Kindergarten and Beechworth Community Early Years Learning Centre after the Indigo Shire Council gained approval at a recent council meeting to seek Expressions of Interest (EOI) for a single tenant to offer early learning services from the site. 

Both the Kindergarten and the Early Years Learning Centre have separate tenancy agreements, but operate from the same site. The decision to open the EOI process has come after a ‘revamp’ of leasing renewals, The Alpine Observer reported. 

Beechworth Kindergarten is well regarded in the community, having operated for 60 years, the last 26 of which have been at the Mayday Hill site. Kinder committee executive team president Averil Halleur explained that the EOI required a successful approved provider to operate both kinder and Early Years Learning services.

“Our sessional kinder is not in the childcare (sic.) space and while council would accept our submission, we have been advised it would be non-conforming and we would not be a genuine contender for the lease,” she said.

With the current lease due to expire at the end of the year there is not sufficient time to relocate, with Ms Halleur saying it would take a minimum of three years to relocate, between securing a new site with certification and approval processes required by the Department of Education.

“It places us in a very difficult position and unless council overturned the decision to proceed with its existing proposal or can extend our lease, we will have to close,” she continued. 

During the meeting many parents raised a number of questions read out collectively “with no answers and an indication council would come back to us, and yet they still voted and approved the proposal,” Ms Halleur said.

Fellow committee member Liana Beatson said consultation had been lacking by council with the EOI process with a single tenancy.

“We don’t feel like we have had a say and feel really disappointed at that lack of transparency,” she shared with The Alpine Observer.

In response Mayor Sophie Price said the EOI is “a transparent process open to the entire kinder and child care sector or consortium with experience and certification.”

“We want to ensure this process delivers the best possible child care and kinder services for local families and the community for years to come,” she said.

Read the original coverage of this story here.