Controversial Eden Academy, Griffith Group, Town Planning Alliance Karalee kindy may cause local job lay-offs

Industry titan VS family business: A family run childcare centre said a $3.8m plan to develop a nearby facility will ‘undoubtedly’ force them to drop prices and lay-off local staff.

A family run childcare centre said Eden Academy’s $3.8m plan to develop a nearby facility will ‘undoubtedly’ force them to drop prices and lay-off local staff. Picture: Supplied

Ipswich’s independent Decision Review Panel held a fiery public hearing where concerned Karalee community members pleaded with the council board to refuse Griffith Group’s 100 place kindergarten application.

Karalee Kindergarten and Early Years Learning centre is 400m down the road from the development site, and Karalee Comunity Kindergarden is ever closer. Picture: Google Maps

Hundreds of residents have been up in arms since the Brisbane developer submitted a development application to the council in March, forcing them to change aspects of the plan.

But it wasn’t good enough.

Speaking at the meeting on October 14, Karalee Kindergarten and Early Years Learning owner Nerada Atkinsons said the major development would be detrimental to the 3000 strong community and her family business.

“We are not a franchise, nor are we funded by seed money from investors keen on seeing what yield they can return on their investment,” she said.

“(My staff), their jobs are now at risk… we will decrease in occupancy there is no doubt about it,” she said.

“For every four children we lose a staff member will be lost.”

Mrs Atkinsons said she would also be forced to drop prices to compete with the new development 400m down the road.

The lot earmarked for the $3.8m development is located adjacent to the Karalee State School on a residential lot on 54-56 Arthur Summervilles Road.

Town Planning Alliance director Vu Nguyen said the growing population provided a need for the facility as well as providing options to families.

“We don’t all want to drive Falcons, some of us want to drive Holdens,” he said.

“The planning scheme and state legislation makes a heavy emphasis on making sure there is a need for what we are doing.

“We found approximately 776 kids are in the catchment as of 2021.

“There’s an existing under supply of between 46 and 72 centres.

“The need is projected to go as high of roughly 150 placements up at 2041.”

Mr Nguyen said the project would create 17 full time positions and 38 construction jobs.

Mr Nguyen said the operators, Eden Academy owned and operated a number of centres that demonstrated a high level of care and service.

The child care provider opened four Queensland facilities and plans to open others in Moorooka, Maroochydore, Camira, Little Bardon, Holland Park, Riverhills, and Holland Park.

Developer Griffith Group has submitted plans to build a new child care centre opposite a school in Karalee, although the design has since changed to a one story building.

In September 2021, Cherish Enterprises Pty Ltd sold the Karalee property to Equity Trustees Limited for $1.5m.

Cherish Enterprises Pty Ltd took Ipswich City Council to court in 2018 where the company successful overturned the then council’s decision to refuse a development application to change a material change of use to develop Springview Estate at Springfield.

The council plans to make a decision on the Karalee development application in November.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the hearing aimed to bring greater transparency to the assessment process and create an opportunity for the community to voice to be heard.

“This is only the second time since the IDRP was introduced in 2019 that a development application had been referred to a public panel hearing,” Cr Harding said.

“Given the response from the Karalee community to this application, Council felt it was important they had the opportunity to voice their concerns and hear directly from the applicant.”

The panel was made up of three independent experts, including town planner and chairwoman Kate Isles, economist Shelley McCormack and traffic engineer Dale Kleimeyer.