Fernbourne Developments gets permit for new Rural View child care centre
Mackay’s child care shortage looks set to ease with a new 94-place child care centre approved for the fast-growing Northern Beaches. Here are the details.
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Mackay’s crippling child care shortage looks set to ease with the announcement a new centre has been approved for the Northern Beaches.
The 94-place centre will be located on Mackay Bucasia Rd in Rural View and will cater to babies and children under the age of five.
The single-storey enterprise will operate with six activity rooms and will also include outdoor play areas.
The western wing of the building will feature rooms for junior kindy children and toddlers and babies as well as a separate sleeping room for babies.
The eastern room will have rooms for older children.
The centre also features a library, an outdoor dining area, a water play zone, a kitchen and a staffroom.
It is estimated the U-shaped centre will employ 16 permanent part-time staff and will be open Monday to Fridays from 6am to 6pm.
Fernbourne Developments applied for a permit on April 4 and the council gave it the nod earlier this month.
It is understood Fernbourne will also apply for a discount on infrastructure charges, in line with the council’s policy to encourage investment and development in the region.
The Rural View centre comes a year after council approval for Eden Academy’s application to build a 108-place centre in Beaconsfield.
With 29 carpark spaces, the Academy features eight rooms with 12 spaces for children aged 0-12 months, 12 for children 12-24 months, 40 spots for children between two and three, and 44 spaces for those aged three to five.
In June this year, the council also voted to approve a Kool Beanz child care centre in South Mackay.
The Gold Coast company will build the state-of-the-art centre at 86 Juliet Street in South Mackay, which will cater to 95 children, including those with special needs.
The company also nabbed a 75 per cent discount on infrastructure charges, which worked out to about $134,000 against its net charge amount.
Councillor Alison Jones said the region’s desperate need for more childcare and services for disabled children justified the expanded incentive.
“I just want to make sure this need is attended to,” she said.
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