Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley childcare: New centres with combined 1025 spaces proposed or under construction
Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley are fast-growing regions in Queensland, with families flooding in and creating massive demand for childcare. SEE OUR INTERACTIVE MAP HERE:
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Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley are regions of choice for families — and that is driving up huge demand for childcare with plenty of new centres planned.
More than 1000 places across 10 new centres are in the process of being approved or built across both regions, representing a massive boost to supplies for new and existing families.
It comes a year after Victoria University and the Mitchell Institute identified most of Toowoomba as a childcare oasis in its accessibility report, with Queensland seeing potentially an oversupply of places compared with demand for children in care.
However, this is not true for the entire Toowoomba region or most of the Lockyer Valley (except for Gatton).
The March 2022 report revealed people living in regional areas were far more likely to live in childcare deserts than metropolitan families, while also seeing a distinct trend of greater supply in more affluent areas of Australia.
While a number of the new centres in the list are located in current childcare deserts across Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley, many are still slated for areas already enjoying strong places-to-children ratios.
Here is the list in alphabetical order, its current status and whether it is located in a childcare oasis or desert.
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1. 80-place centre, Cambooya
Location: 7 Eton Street, Cambooya
Applicant: Schriek Building Group Pty Ltd
Status: Approved
Cambooya Availability: 1 place to 3.68-20.04 children (desert)
Cambooya residents have been eagerly awaiting the construction of a new centre along the main drag of the small town, which has seen an influx of families in recent years.
Schriek Building Group Pty Ltd was given the final green light by the Toowoomba Regional Council in December 2021, but works have yet to begin.
The Cambooya area is considered a childcare desert based on the report, with no neighbourhoods within it considered oases.
In some parts, there are as many as 20 children for every one spot.
2. 68-place centre, Harlaxton
Location: 12 Peace Street, Harlaxton
Applicant: New Hope Church
Status: Proposed
Harlaxton Availability: 1 place to 1.54-1.6 children (oasis)
The newest application on this list is also proposed for an area that, statistically-speaking, needs it the least.
New Hope Church lodged plans in July 2023 for a 68-place childcare centre to the rear of the church on Peace Street in Harlaxton, which will add another 540sq m to the entire building.
The centre will employ 22 staff and operate five days a week.
The Harlaxton area is already well-supplied with childcare services, with all seven neighbourhoods classed as oases.
3. 100-place centre, Kearneys Spring
Location: 471-493 Hume Street, Kearneys Spring
Applicant: Home Consortium
Status: Approved
Kearneys Spring Availability: 1 place to 1.56-1.86 children (part oasis)
Home Consortium has yet to start construction on a new centre that is bizarrely-placed as an extension to its massive bulk-retail centre along Hume Street in Kearneys Spring.
The company received approval from council in June last year for the centre, which will cater for 100 kids.
Kearneys Spring is reasonably well-positioned for childcare, with a third of its 18 neighbourhoods listed as oases.
4. 140-place centre, Kleinton
Location: 140 Kleinton Road, Kleinton
Applicant: Hallmark Property
Status: Proposed
Kleinton Availability: 1 place to 5.27-8.37 children (desert)
Hallmark Property lodged plans in June 2023 with the Toowoomba Regional Council to build a 1200 sqm facility on a large parcel of land along Kleinton Road in Kleinton, just north of Highfields.
The new centre will act as a northwest tip of and service the developer’s Wirraglen Highfields estate, which is currently being built.
Statistically speaking, Kleinton is in desperate need of childcare centres, with all three neighbourhoods listed as deserts.
5. 100-place centre, Meringandan West
Location: 7 Meringandan Shirley Road, Meringandan West
Applicant: McNamara-Healey Holdings Pty Ltd
Status: Proposed
Meringandan West Availability: 1 place to 4.8-6.72 children (desert)
One of Toowoomba’s fastest-growing communities, Meringandan West is also starved of childcare services.
It is a big reason developer McNamara-Healey Holdings Pty Ltd has lodged plans for a 100-child facility on Meringandan Shirley Road, just south of a future subdivision and local centre.
The council is still assessing a change application by the application, having approved the original proposal in February 2023.
Meringandan West’s five neighbourhoods are all classified as childcare deserts, indicating a significant under-supply.
6. 94-place centre, Meringandan West
Location: Goombungee-Meringandan Road, Meringandan West
Applicant: Dobell Developments Pty Ltd
Status: Approved
Meringandan West Availability: 1 place to 4.8-6.72 children (desert)
Meringandan West is so desperate for childcare services, there are actually two applications within metres of each other.
Dobell Developments Pty Ltd got the green light at a special meeting for a new 94-place centre, as part of a massive 190-lot subdivision on Goombungee-Meringandan Road.
Residents who were unhappy with the proposal due to small lot sizes actually welcomed the childcare centre.
Meringandan West’s five neighbourhood areas are all considered childcare deserts.
7. 150-place centre, Plainland
Location: 24 Gehrke Road, Plainland
Applicant: Ayse Genc
Status: Proposed
Plainland Availability: 1 place to 1.36-2.71 children (part-oasis)
Plainland has unsurprisingly been targeted by developers for childcare services, considering the massive growth of the township over the past few years.
Developer Ayse Genc put forward plans in May to the Lockyer Valley Regional Council for a new 2500 sqm centre fronting Gehrke Road.
According to the planning report by Property Projects Australia, the new facility would cater for babies right through to school-aged children.
While Plainland might appear to be well-serviced for childcare right now, the data doesn’t account for future growth of a community already expanding.
8. 115-place centre, Plainland
Location: 20 Gehrke Road, Plainland
Applicant: Maddison Ridge Pty Ltd
Status: Proposed
Plainland Availability: 1 place to 1.36-2.71 children (part-oasis)
A second childcare centre has been lodged for Plainland this year — just two doors up from the first application.
Maddison Ridge Pty Ltd submitted a proposal for a 115-place centre, also on Gehrke Road.
It is believed the development would employ 18 people, with the developer pointing to the growing population in Plainland.
Plainland is considered an oasis for childcare right now, but that could change as more families move into the area.
9. 98-place centre, Rangeville
Address: 53A South Street, Rangeville
Applicant: The Trust Company (Australia) Ltd
Status: Under construction
Rangeville Availability: 1 place to 1.35-2.04 children (part oasis)
One of the most controversial projects on this list, residents voiced their opposition to the new two-storey childcare centre on South Street in Rangeville.
But the facility, funded by a consortium of Sydney developers, finally got all green lights through council and has since started construction.
It will be operated by Only About Kids (OAK) and sit directly opposite Rangeville State School.
According to data, Rangeville is well-serviced for services, with five of its 23 neighbourhoods considered oases, with a ratio as low as 1.35 children for every place.
10. 80-place centre, Wilsonton
Location: 267 Taylor St, Wilsonton
Applicant: Dallas Hunter, Leonie Jones
Status: Proposed
Wilsonton Availability: 1 place to 1.39-1.7 children (oasis)
A new childcare centre could be coming to Toowoomba’s western suburbs, after plans were lodged for an 80-place facility in April.
Developers Dallas Hunter and Leonie Jones submitted a proposal for a new centre on Taylor St in Wilsonton, not far from Wyalla Plaza.
But its need is questionable considering 2022 data, which showed 15 of Wilsonton’s 18 suburbs were childcare oases.
In some areas, the ratio is as low as 1 place to 1.39 children.
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Originally published as Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley childcare: New centres with combined 1025 spaces proposed or under construction
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