Major expansion of early learning services announced for Devonport

Families in Devonport are set to gain access to significantly more early childhood education and care places, with up to $4 million committed to expand and refurbish Malangenna Children’s Centre.

The Australian Government investment will support the delivery of up to 70 additional early learning places, helping respond to demand for early childhood education and care across Devonport and the wider Braddon community.

The announcement was made by Minister for Early Childhood Education Senator Dr Jess Walsh and Member for Braddon Anne Urquhart.

Funded through the Building Early Education Fund, the project delivers on an election commitment to increase access to quality early learning in areas of identified need.

Devonport Child Care Centres Inc will receive up to $4 million to support the proposed expansion and refurbishment of Malangenna Children’s Centre.

The project will create a modern, fit-for-purpose early learning environment designed around contemporary educational practice and appropriate indoor play spaces.

Malangenna currently operates as a 67-place centre, with the expansion expected to more than double the number of places available. Earlier information about the election commitment indicated the completed service could accommodate approximately 150 children.

The expanded centre will be co-located with the TasTAFE Devonport campus, placing early learning and vocational education facilities within the same precinct.

A construction schedule and anticipated opening date have not yet been announced.

Ms Urquhart said families across Braddon had shared their experiences of difficulty finding available early childhood education and care places.

“I’ve heard directly from families across Braddon about the challenges of finding early childhood education and care places,” she said.

“That’s why I welcome this investment, which will help address local demand and expand access to quality early learning services for families in Devonport.”

Ms Urquhart described Malangenna Children’s Centre as a valued community organisation and said the investment would help it continue supporting local children and families for years to come.

The additional places are expected to improve access to early learning while supporting workforce participation and strengthening the regional community.

What could the expansion mean for existing providers?

While the expansion is intended to address unmet demand, adding up to 70 places will also change Devonport’s local early learning market.

Existing providers could face greater competition for enrolments, particularly once families have access to a newly refurbished not-for-profit service with substantially increased capacity.

The effect is unlikely to be felt evenly across the sector. Services with strong occupancy, stable teams and established relationships with families may experience little disruption, while those with vacancies or operating close to Malangenna could face greater competition.

However, evidence of significant unmet demand suggests the new places may largely accommodate families currently unable to secure care rather than draw enrolments away from existing services.

In 2025, Devonport Child Care Centres Inc reported that more than 370 children were waiting for places across its three centres. Tasmania has also been identified as having the lowest level of childcare access nationally, with more than half of the state considered a childcare desert.

In a high-demand market, increasing supply may relieve pressure on waiting lists and provide more families with access to care without significantly reducing occupancy at surrounding services.

Recruiting enough qualified educators and early childhood teachers to support the additional places may present a more immediate challenge.

Regional services already experience difficulty attracting and retaining qualified professionals. A large expansion could intensify competition for employees, particularly if recruitment draws from the existing local workforce.

The centre’s co-location with TasTAFE may create opportunities to strengthen connections with students and future educators over time. However, no formal training, placement or employment partnership has been announced as part of the project.

The expansion’s success will therefore depend not only on constructing additional rooms but also on establishing a sustainable workforce capable of opening and operating the new places.

The Devonport expansion will be supported through the Australian Government’s $1 billion Building Early Education Fund.

The fund provides capital investment to build or expand early childhood education and care services in communities experiencing undersupply, particularly across regional areas and outer suburbs.

The Devonport project is additional to six Tasmanian locations previously announced through a partnership between the Australian and Tasmanian governments.

Those projects will deliver new or expanded not-for-profit early learning services co-located with primary or district schools in Westbury, Rosetta, St Marys, Bruny Island, Bothwell and Huonville.

Minister Walsh said the fund was helping establish more not-for-profit early learning services in communities where they were most needed.

“Our $1 billion Building Early Education Fund is delivering more early learning centres for more families in more places, particularly in our outer suburbs and regions,” she said.

“These projects mean more families can access early learning close to home and children can get a great start in life.”

Further information is available through the Minister for Early Childhood Education’s announcement.