New childcare precinct planned for growing Gilston community on the Gold Coast

Plans have been unveiled for a new childcare precinct within the Gilston Lifestyle Village on the Gold Coast, aiming to meet the rising demand for early learning services in the region’s fast-growing hinterland.

Excellence in Education has lodged a proposal with the council to develop a new early learning service on a vacant 4,000 sqm site on Gilston Road. The proposed service would accommodate up to 114 children.

Designed to integrate with the surrounding community, the facility would feature six learning environments, a sleep room, and a dedicated outdoor play space covering more than 1,300 sqm. Plans also include on-site parking for 29 vehicles, with 16 spaces allocated for staff.

“The proposal has been designed to integrate with the surrounding area while delivering a high-quality childcare facility that meets the growing needs of the community,” the planning documents submitted to the council state.

The project is one of several childcare developments recently proposed across the Gold Coast, a reflection of the city’s surging population and the increasing need for early childhood education services. Other projects include a proposed two-storey centre at Worongary with capacity for 136 children and the transformation of a former Miami production headquarters into a new service.

A recent report highlights that Gilston and the surrounding catchments currently face an undersupply of more than 200 childcare places. Without new developments, this gap is expected to widen to 351 places by 2036.

The Gilston centre will be located next to a planned commercial precinct, with further details of that development yet to be released.

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