Developer withdraws plans for new $5 million childcare centre at 44 Bangalow Rd, Ballina
A dire lack of childcare places in Ballina is no closer to being rectified as a proposal for a big new centre has fallen flat. Here’s what we know.
Regional News
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A proposal to build a $5 million two-storey childcare centre in a growing North Coast town has been suddenly withdrawn.
The centre at 44 Bangalow Rd in the heart of Ballina was planned to have capacity for 85 children and 15 staff member, catering for kids aged zero to five.
Pitched to Ballina Shire Council, a development application stated the project was planned on the back of a “considerable shortfall of enrolment vacancies within the region”.
The applicant was development consultancy Newton Denny Chapelle.
The council’s director strategic planning development services Matthew Wood said concerns were raised about the suitability of the site and other issues flagged in submissions.
“I imagine what’s happened is the developer would have considered those and decided rather than providing further details and addressing those, they prefer to withdraw on that basis,” he said.
The Mitchell Institute for Education and Health Policy at Victoria University recently released a study showing there was 4.67 Ballina children for every childcare place available, compared to a national average of 2.63 children for every place.
Jetts Ballina gym owner Kallum Fidoe of said he was in “full support” of the development as his community continued to boom.
“Ballina is a growing region with more homes and families on the way,” he said.
Mr Fidoe also said authorities needed to upgrade infrastructure and services to deal with an increased population.
“As a local business, we are always looking for staff,” he said.
Mr Wood said from a council perspective access to the site and established mature fig trees at the location were a sticking point.
“How would people get in and out of the childcare centre through the parking configuration at Ballina Central?” he said.
Noise and pedestrian safety were also among the issues raised, with the site on a busy road and adjacent to a shopping complex.
“All this information was delivered to the proponent and developer and I think on consideration of those they have decided not to go forward this time,” Mr Wood said.
More information has been sought from the developer.
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