Childcare centre in ‘wrong’ area, councillor says

Is there such a thing as too many childcare centres? A Brisbane councillor says yes, and hopes a new project will be canned.

A councillor opposes a new childcare centre proposal at Sherwood. File picture: iStock

A SHERWOOD childcare centre planned for a quiet, character street is in the “wrong’’ place and would have to compete with four other centres coming on line soon, a councillor says.

The two-storey project, on the corner of Bute St and Oxley Rd, would cater for up to 115 children, from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Councillor Nicole Johnston (Tennyson) said three nearby centres on Oxley Rd, Cliveden St and Donaldson St, all in Corinda, had recently been approved or were under construction, and a fourth in Sherwood at the St Mathew’s site was in the planning stages.

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“There are existing centres nearby as well including on the corner of Hall St and Oxley Rd,’’ she said.

“There was also a major extension to the centre on Thallon St a year ago.’’

The news comes after shares in childcare giant G8 Education were hammered last week when a broker downgraded their recommendation for the stock.

G8 has struggled recently with falling occupancy at its 502 centres in Australia amid an industry-wide oversupply of childcare outlets.

Its share price crashed 23 per cent in one day last year after the company warned it was not expecting market conditions to improve until mid-to-late this year.

But Cr Johnston said her main objection, however, was that the Bute St proposal was in a quiet character street zoned low-to-medium density.

Cr Nicole Johnston. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

“This is speculative because they (the developers) are seeking a material change of use,’’ she said.

“There are other areas zoned for this, but they’re more expensive so developers are looking for low-hanging fruit they hope they can get rezoned.

“Retrospectively jamming a major commercial development into residential land is contrary to Council’s planning scheme.

“(The rash of projects) will lead to an imbalance in local neighbourhoods, liveability and amenity.”

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Town planners Bartley Burns said it could not comment.

But the development application said the surrounding area was currently a mix of uses, and not purely character residential.

The traditional character overlay did not affect the developer’s property and the low-medium density residential code allowed for non-residential development if it served a local community facility need, such as a childcare centre.

The zoning allowed for childcare and the site was ideally located for a childcare, being close to a train station and diagonally opposite a school, meaning some parents could combine drop-offs with older children at the school, it said.

The site would be landscaped, have acoustic fencing and on-site parking with car access via Bute St.

“The proposed building will employ an attractive, modern design which will be distinctive, yet complementary within the immediate area,’’ the DA said.