First glimpse at Southside plan for Sorensen Rd childcare centre

Childcare continues to be a red hot industry in Gympie with a new proposal for a 100-spot centre in the heart of the region’s major growth corridor.

Plans for Southside childcare centre at Sorensen Rd

Childcare continues to be a hot prospect in Gympie with plans for a second 100-plus spot centre lodged with the council is as many weeks.

Sorensen Road Childcare Pty Ltd, directed by Cosmo Schuh, has revealed its plans to build a new centre along its namesake at the Southside.

A brick house currently sits on one of the blocks the centre is proposed to be built on.,

The adjoining land included in the project is undeveloped.

The single-storey L-shaped centre would include six activity rooms, along with staff and laundry facilities.

Outdoor play areas would be built in front and out back of the building.

An economic report submitted with the application says the proposed centre would fill a “pressing” need in the market on the Southside, where there was 4.8 children per childcare place on offer, more than double the state average.

Twenty-four parking spaces are included in the proposal.

An economic assessment submitted as part of the application says there was a “strong” and “pressing” need for more options south of the Mary River.

The report says as of October 2022 there was only one long daycare centre in the catchment, Goodstart Jones Hill.

It was supplying 75 places “to a market of 360 children under five (years of age)”.

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This was double the state average of 2.2 children per available childcare place, the report says.

“The average occupancy rate is estimated at 92 per cent with the only centre in the local catchment … reporting no availability for nursery places and limited availability for older children.”

A brick home at Sorensen Rd would be demolished to make way for the centre if its approved, with two undeveloped blocks next door to be used in the development too.

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It is the second childcare centre proposal to be lodged with the council in two weeks.

On the northern side of the Mary River developer IC No.2 Pty Ltd, directed by Nathan Gordon and Rowan Sedgwick, has lodged its own plans for a new 113-spot centre near the Mary Valley Rattler.

Its application says the proposed Tozer St centre would address “existing and anticipated demand” for childcare services in the region if approved.

In 2020, the council rejected plans for another childcare centre proposed to be built about 200m away from where IC No.2 wants to build.