New childcare centres proposed to address growing demand in Geelong suburbs

Planning applications have been lodged for two new childcare centres in fast-growing areas of Geelong, with one able to accomodate more than 120 kids.

Render of a proposed child care centre at Kensington Rd, Leopold.

                                                   

Plans for two childcare centres in fast-growing areas of Geelong have been lodged.

A centre in Lara with a capacity for 76 children is on the horizon, while one in Leopold could house 128 children.

The Patullos Rd proposal for Lara would cost an estimated $1.7m for a double-storey building including four activity rooms, a 554 metre-squared outdoor play area, staff facilities and 13 carparking spaces.

The planning report states “the proposed childcare centre has a contemporary design that does not appear as a commercial building and will compliment the surrounding neighbourhood.”

“The childcare centre will provide a valuable service to the local area and is considered to be an appropriate location for a non-residential use.”

Oreana Project Management has lodged the application on behalf of Heathfield Childcare Development and secured Aspire Early Leaning Centre as the centre operator.

Aspire operates 16 centres across the state.

If the proposal is approved, the existing single-story weatherboard dwelling and single shed structure would be demolished.

The proposed operating hours would be from 6:30am until 7:30pm, Monday to Friday.

In Lara, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data indicates 6.4 per cent of the population is zero to four years old.

Across Geelong, there are about 20,000 children aged zero to four years old.

The regional city has been bucking national birth trends, with KPMG Australia revealing an 11 per cent increase from 2019 to 2023, compared to a 4.6 per cent fall year on year across Australia.

In Leopold, 5.9 per cent of the population is younger than four.

The application for Kensington St in Leopold proposes to demolish three houses and outbuildings spread over three lots and construct a single storey building for a childcare.

It would be a $2m development and the site is located opposite Leopold Primary School.

The car park would accommodate 28 spaces.

There would be seven children’s rooms, each with access to a bathroom and storage room, and one would contain a cot room.

The proposed operating times are 6.30am to about 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.

The application states, “staff will arrive gradually until approximately 9.30am to 10.00am as the children will arrive at various times during the extended morning drop off times.

“Likewise, the afternoon will see children leaving over an extended period (usually starting at approximately 3pm) and with the staff also leaving at different times.”

It also states the site was ideally suited to development and was ideally located for a childcare centre.

“This is an established community, and with the expected population around this location

to continue to grow, and the changing socio-economic factors, there will be a growing

demand for child care centres,” the plan read.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as New childcare centres proposed to address growing demand in Geelong suburbs