Development proposal for medical centre, cafe, childcare centre at Thunderbolt Drive, Raby

An empty site in the Macarthur could soon be transformed into a bustling hub for multiple businesses if a development application is approved.

Plans have been submitted to build a child care facility, medical centre, takeaway food and drink premise and cafe in Raby.

A vacant site in Campbelltown could soon be transformed into a bustling centre with a childcare facility, cafe, takeaway shop and medical centre.

The mixed-use development application has been submitted to Campbelltown Council by The Malek Group for consideration at 136 Thunderbolt Dr, Raby which is currently empty.

If approved, the medical centre would sit on the ground flood, while the takeaway food shop and cafe would sit on the western side of the site. The exact layout of these businesses will be part of separate proposals.

The childcare centre is designed with the majority of play areas on the ground floor, including four indoor play rooms, the outdoor play area and administration areas.

The facility will operate with a maximum capacity of 120 places with 40 allocated to zero to two years, 20 for two to three years and 60 for three to five years.

Artist impression of the proposed development.

The facility would be run by 20 educators with a centre manager and chef as support staff, with proposed operating hours from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, public holidays excluded.

The plan for the childcare comes after a report from Victoria University affiliated Mitchell Institute revealed last year that parts of the Macarthur region are living in what it qualifies as “childcare deserts”.

In Campbelltown, the data revealed there were at least three children in the suburb for every childcare place available. In Camden and Wollondilly, there are at least two.

It also showed more than 58 per cent of Campbelltown is considered a “childcare desert”, and the same term applied to 35.28 per cent of Wollondilly and 16.7 per cent of Camden.