A ‘gift’ for the Apollo Bay community as residents’ campaign stops council bid to sell former kindergarten

The community gifted council the land more than 50 years ago, now council is planning on giving it back. But how exactly it will be used is still up in the air.

The former kindergarten site in McLachlan St, Apollo Bay. Picture: Alan Barber

Colac Otway Shire is planning to “gift” Apollo Bay’s old preschool back to the community after a successful fight by residents.

The shire’s initial plan to sell the former kindergarten site was met with strong resistance and more than half the town signed a petition, and many attended an on-site protest, to put the land to use for the community.

At the December council meeting Councillors voted 5:2 in favour of gifting the site to the Apollo Bay community by transferring the land to an entity that can facilitate future use for locals.

Jane Gross, president of Apollo Bay Community Voice – which led the petition – said the campaign represented a united community.

“It was a great win, a Christmas present to the community that the decision was made to gift the property for community benefit,” Ms Gross said.

“We’re not there yet, they’ve still got to decide who to gift it to now … but it’s pretty great for the community.”

Ms Gross said the historic importance of the site made the win all the more important.

“In the 1950s the land was purchased by the Apollo Bay community,” Ms Gross said.

“The community raised money, bought the land, and then got a government grant to build the building.

“Then the community gifted it to the council.

“They’ve run it ever since and not put money into it.

“It’s been run by a volunteer organisation, so it really does feel like a community asset historically.”

Mrs Gross said the site was run as a Preschool & Infant Welfare Centre for more than 60 years, until it was closed when the state government funded a new kindergarten, but the town was still drastically in-need of more childcare facilities.

“The new local kindergarten that was built was totally funded by the state – the council did contribute to the new maternal and child health services at the hub as well, but the sale (of the old kindergarten) would have made a lot more than the 350 grand they needed to recuperate costs.”

Mr Gross said the Apollo Bay Kindergarten, opened in 2022, was now the only local kindergarten and already full.

“They have a waiting list of 30 plus,” she said.

“They’re not at capacity they’re just really short-staffed This town really needs childcare to make our community sustainable.

“We’re desperate for housing and childcare.

“We don’t have school holiday programs, before or after-school programs and the childcare is really limited, and we can’t get staff because there’s no housing.”

The shire’s Expressions Of Interest (EOI) period for the use of the land closed on March 22 and the shire will discuss the issue at its next council meeting.

Originally published as A ‘gift’ for the Apollo Bay community as residents’ campaign stops council bid to sell former kindergarten