Childcare centre planned for Athelstone block owned by resident who criticised similar developments

A community activist who criticised plans for childcare centres in her neighbourhood has agreed to sell her house to a developer ... to build a childcare centre.

The rear aspect of the proposed childcare centre on Gorge Rd, Athelstone. The centre would cater for up to 82 children. Image: Insite Architects

A $1.5m childcare centre for up to 82 children is proposed to replace a house in Adelaide’s northeast owned by a community activist who has criticised similar projects nearby.

Campbelltown Council’s 2020 Citizen of the Year, Julie-Ann Bennett, has been accused of hypocrisy after signing a deal with a Melbourne developer to buy and demolish her house at Gorge Rd, Athelstone, and build a split-level centre.

The project – on an existing 2267sqm block – includes 20 parking spaces and would employ 21 staff according to a planning report by consultancy Future Urban, which is out for public consultation until February 26.

The centre would trade Monday to Friday from 6.30am to 6.30pm and would be the first of its kind in the suburb.

Mrs Bennett runs the Love Campbelltown Facebook page – founded in 2018 to connect community, encourage civic pride and influence policy change – and has been a vocal critic of overdevelopment and the negative impact of urban infill, including the loss of trees.

In a December 2020 personal submission to state planning reforms, she criticised a childcare centre being built on Gorge Rd, Paradise, next to a service station and hotel as having a “serious lack of quality and quantity green space”.

“The play equipment is metres from the road, an obvious safety hazard,” she said. “Fire risk and evacuation is another issue. Noise, traffic, air pollution … this is a clear example of letting developers make a dollar without consideration for what children and families need.”

The design of the entrance and carpark of the proposed childcare centre on Gorge Rd, Athelstone. Image: Insite Architects

In a post on the Love Campbelltown page on February 16, she told the page’s 4300 members that she had signed a contract nine months ago with a developer for her Athelstone house.

“The developer required 1500 sqm, and since the land is 2267 sqm they now have an opportunity to provide quantity as well as quality green space for early childhood learning,” she wrote.

“Preserving many of the trees would not have been achieved if sold for medium density housing, and so we think (hope) it is a better outcome than many other possible outcomes.”

She also spoke out against a childcare centre planned for the roof of the nearby Newton Village shopping centre on the corner of Stradbroke and Montacute roads.

Some members of the Love Campbelltown page accused her of being a hypocrite for opposing similar developments in the area.

“What an absolute hypocrite,” one person posted. “I can’t believe that people think this is a good idea when Julie has been blocking development in the area for years,” another said.

In response to the criticism, Mrs Bennett wrote: “IMO child care centres on the roof of a building or wedged behind a petrol station are lacking.”

She referred The Advertiser to her social media statement when asked if she wanted to comment further.

In its planning report Future Urban said the Athelstone proposal would retain seven trees on and outside the property, including a significant river red gum.

“A hallmark of the proposed development is the retention of the vegetation that exists on the land to retain a natural landscape that will be incorporated into the design of the outdoor play areas,” the report says.

“In particular, the child care centre will take advantage of the creek that runs across the front of the subject site and then runs through the adjacent council reserve.”

Future Urban director Marc Duncan said the developer had requested anonymity.

*This version corrects the name of the shopping centre.

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