Goulburn moves to restrict childcare development under planning shake-up

Centre-based childcare facilities could be prohibited in four rural and environmental zones across the Goulburn Mulwaree local government area, as the council moves to strengthen the planning controls governing where new services can be developed.

Goulburn Mulwaree Council has voted to progress proposed amendments to its local planning framework following community consultation and concerns about the location, scale and neighbourhood impact of several childcare development applications.

The planning proposal will now be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for consideration.

Importantly, the changes are not yet in force and would apply only within the Goulburn Mulwaree local government area, not across the entire Southern Tablelands. They are also not expected to affect childcare developments that have already been lodged or approved.

Under the proposal, centre-based childcare facilities would be prohibited in the following land-use zones:

• RU1 Primary Production;
• RU2 Rural Landscape;
• RU6 Transition; and
• C3 Environmental Management.

The proposal would also add “character and amenity” considerations to the objectives applying to R1 General Residential and R2 Low Density Residential zones.

Childcare centres would not be prohibited in those residential zones. However, the changes would give council planners greater scope to consider whether a proposed development is compatible with the character, scale and amenity of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Councillor Michael Prevedello, who encouraged his fellow councillors to support the proposal, said the reforms were needed to prevent childcare projects from being advanced in “blatantly preposterous locations”.

“I’m pleased with this motion, as I believe it is the start of a process which acknowledges common sense,” Cr Prevedello said.

“If this motion passes tonight, I envisage that the consideration of amenity and character considerations will be vital tools which our planners will be able to discuss with proponents.”

Council began reviewing its childcare planning provisions earlier in 2026 after several development applications attracted criticism over their location and scale, despite satisfying existing planning criteria.

Feedback gathered during the consultation process included concerns about:

• traffic generation and existing street design;
• the scale and appearance of proposed developments;
• examples of childcare centres considered a poor fit within the streetscape;
• uncertainty about some applicants and developers;
• proposals involving providers based outside the local area; and
• the availability of local childcare places and suitably qualified employees.

Council staff advised that they were not aware of any development applications currently under assessment that would be affected by the proposed prohibitions.

They also acknowledged the need to balance community concerns with the region’s need for additional early childhood education and care.

“We know that childcare services are needed in town, and at the moment, there is a shortfall of childcare spaces,” a council staff member said.

“But we need to ensure that they’re put in the right places with the right considerations, site context, et cetera.”

Councillor Jason Shepherd said new services needed to be located near the families who would use them while remaining compatible with surrounding residential areas.

“I think, speaking as someone who’s used childcare centres in the past, you don’t want to be driving,” Cr Shepherd said.

“Having something nearby is good, but also, it has to fit into the newer residential areas.”

The proposed changes extend beyond the four land-use prohibitions.

Council also intends to consolidate its existing childcare provisions into a single chapter of the Goulburn Mulwaree Development Control Plan.

The revised chapter would include additional design considerations and stronger guidance for assessing whether a proposed site is suitable for a centre-based childcare facility.

Planning controls for childcare developments in NSW are largely established through the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 and the NSW Government’s Child Care Planning Guideline.

This limits the range of matters councils can regulate through their own planning instruments. However, Goulburn Mulwaree Council believes its proposed amendments would strengthen the consideration of local character, amenity, design and site suitability within the powers available to it.

The council’s proposal comes as the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure separately considers changes to state-level planning provisions for centre-based childcare facilities.

According to council documents, the potential reforms include:

• a new framework for assessing traffic and noise impacts;
• changes to how proposed operating hours are considered; and
• greater emphasis on planning outcomes rather than prescriptive rules.

If adopted, those reforms could influence how childcare development applications are assessed across NSW, rather than only within the Goulburn Mulwaree area.

Goulburn Mulwaree Council will now submit its planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

Any amendment to the Local Environmental Plan will require the relevant state planning processes to be completed before it can take effect and may be subject to further consultation.

The debate reflects a broader challenge facing many growing regional communities: increasing access to early childhood education and care while ensuring new developments are appropriately located and respond to traffic, streetscape, environmental and neighbourhood considerations.

For prospective providers and developers, it also reinforces the importance of assessing more than local demand when selecting a site. Zoning, neighbourhood character, traffic impacts, service operating hours and compatibility with surrounding land uses are becoming increasingly significant considerations in the planning process.

Sources: Goulburn Mulwaree Council — Centre Based Child Care Facilities: Review of Local Planning Provisions and About Regional — “Planning shake-up moves to ban childcare centres in parts of Southern Tablelands”, 25 August 2026