Bundaberg Regional Council votes to allow George St childcare centre

Bundaberg councillor May Mitchell has argued that George St does not need another childcare centre during debate on the fate of a contentious development proposal, while another has urged his colleagues to remove all emotion from their decision. Find out who voted for and against.

A passionate speech outlining the reasons against the proposed development application on George St was not enough to sway most of Bundaberg Regional Council against a new daycare proposal.

Passionate arguments from two Bundaberg councillors, 18 submissions from the public, andsome concern that a new childcare centre could end up a white elephant have failed to save heritage home Consuelo from serving out its final days on George St.

A development application for a material change of use put before the Bundaberg Regional Council by Uniland Investments in 2022, proposed a 90-place childcare centre at 210 George St, with the original application slating Consuelo, the historic 1911-12 home on its grounds, for demolition.

Following coverage by this publication and numerous objections submitted by the public, the developer agreed to enter into a contract for the removal of the home.

An historic bottle tree was also granted protection.

During Bundaberg Regional Council‘s ordinary meeting on Tuesday, February 28, all but three councillors voted in favour of allowing the development to go ahead.

Consuelo received a write-up in a book about the region's outstanding Queenslanders.

Councillors May Mitchell, Greg Barnes and John Learmonth opted to keep Consuelo on her current grounds.

Division 5’s Greg Barnes posed a question to the council, asking if anyone had met with the Chinese and Singaporean directors of Uniland Investments, Meng Cheng and Kenneth Yong. The answer was no.

Division 7 councillor Vince Habermann gave the only speech in favour of the proposal, stating all emotion needed to be removed from the decision facing “the grand old lady” and asking councillors to imagine how they would feel if it was their property and their rights to develop it were being turned down.

Division 9 councillor May Mitchell said the development was likely to impact the surrounding residential area.

Ms Mitchell said she had observed the area herself on four recent occasions and explained that while traffic was spread across various entries to the nearby Bundaberg West State School, the George St location would not have the same set-up.

Pauline and Michael Tanner were the last owners of Consuelo, and were saddened to hear of the development plans.

“...introducing a childcare centre for 90 children and 14 staff with an entry/exit on Adams St is likely to impact the immediate area,” she said.

The councillor pointed to figures which showed a dwindling number of students at Bundaberg West State School, with 196 admissions in August 2021.

She said there was already a childcare centre at 203 George St, with at least five new childcare centres in the region receiving the green light from council in the past 18 months, creating more than 600 new childcare places.

With the approval of the George St proposal, the number of available childcare spaces would blow out to more than 700, she said.

Councillor May Mitchell expressed concern for both the vegetation and home.

“I don't believe there is a need for a childcare centre at this location, creating uncertainty about the future of a property built in the early 1900s, valued for its beauty and historical relevance.

“I don't believe a childcare centre is needed at this location at the expense of the amenity of the residential area or at the expense of the ambience created by the existing garden and mature trees which will be lost to unavoidable interference to build the centre and to seal the car park.”

Mr Barnes said the house had been built in “the era, within a year or so, that Bert Hinkler flew his glider in Mon Repos, made out of scrap metal, pram wheels and his mother‘s ironing board”.

210 George St, Bundaberg West. A decision has been made on the home’s fate.

“This is a time when Australians were yet to go to war (WWI).

“There's no way that I want my name attached to this approval,” he said.

Councillors Jason Bartels, Bill Trevor, Wayne Honor, Tracey McPhee, Tanya McLoughlin, Vince Habermann and Steve Cooper voted in favour of the proposal, allowing it to pass with a majority vote.

Resident in the public gallery expressed their disappointment and concern that the childcare centre could end up a “white elephant”.