Brisbane kindy locked in David v Goliath battle over $18m school expansion

A Brisbane community kindergarten is locked in a David v Goliath battle as an $18m expansion of a local high school threatens the little one’s play area.

Plans for the multipurpose sports hall at Craigslea State High School. Image: Queensland Government.

A community kindergarten is locked in a David v Goliath battle as an $18m expansion of Craigslea State High School threatens the children’s natural play area that features chickens and beehives.

The kindy is caught up in a back-and-forth dispute with various departments and the government’s construction arm, QBuild, over the school’s plans to erect a three-storey building just a few metres from their fence.

C&K West Chermside Pre Prep director Robyn Whittaker said they were asking for a few design changes to reduce the impact of the multipurpose sports hall, including the dust and noise associated with the year-long construction.

“Our kindy is very much into natural play and sustainability, and we have chickens and beehives and compost bins,” she said.

“Our outlook is very important as well, and to have buildings instead of trees and grass will be a really big change for us.”

C&K West Chermside kids Sophia Hughes, 5, Kingi Nikorima, 4, and Yuvna Koolash, 4. Picture: Tara Croser

The kindy’s buffer with the new building – which will house a volleyball centre – will be 3m, while residents on the other side will have 9m.

Ms Whittaker has questioned why there can’t be a 6m buffer on each side.

“The reasoning we’ve been told is that we’re not here after-hours,” she said. “The noise restrictions after hours are different to restrictions during the day. It’s about giving the residential housing more of a buffer because of (volleyball) games that might be happening at night.

“But we’re here during the day when students will be using the centre, too.”

The kindy also asked for the footpath to be moved to the building’s other side. This was to allay concerns about high school students walking next to the kindy and potentially swearing or vaping.

The playground at C&K West Chermside. Picture: Tara Croser.

“It feels like an invasion of privacy almost, with that happening so close to us,” Ms Whittaker said.

“There will be noise and dust, and that’s going to impact us no matter what (construction-management) pro­cedur­es are put into place, because it’s so close.

“We have several children with additional needs – loud noises from the building will be triggering for them.”

Ms Whittaker stressed neither she nor the parents were opposed to the development.

“What we want is a little more consideration because we feel the three households on that (opposite) side are getting a lot more consideration than the 44 families whose children attend our kindy,” she said.

C&K West Chermside borders on Craigslea State High Schoo.. Picture: Tara Croser

An email sent to the kindy by a QBuild manager during the week outlined what could be done.

“The current location of the building cannot change. However, we can explore of options for alternative access from the school to the venue to minimise interactions between school staff and students and the kindergarten children,” the email read.

“(QBuild will) review opportunities to enhance landscaping, vegetation type and den­sity between the kindergarten and the new building to enhance screening and privacy.”

The new building is a joint Department of Education and Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport project.

The Sunday Mail contacted multiple government departments for comment but received no response.