Unicare Centre trees removed to make way for parking lot, parent says

Staff at a highly respected Townsville day-care centre have been left in tears as surrounding bushland is torn down for a new car-park, a parent claims.

Work at the back of the Unicare Centre. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Staff at a highly respected day-care centre at James Cook University have been left in tears as surrounding bushland is torn down for a new car-park, a parent claims.

Ross McKendrick, the father of a two-year-old child at the Unicare Centre on JCU’s Douglas Campus, expressed dismay at the development, saying “the whole thing stinks”.

“They’re putting a car-park all the way around the centre but to do that they need to clear all the existing bush,” he said.

“One of the things that makes it so beautiful is that it is surrounded by big, lovely trees, lots of wildlife and it shades the grounds, and they’re removing it.”

Mr McKendrick said there was plenty of room in other parts of the expansive campus, adding staff now appeared resigned to the fact the popular day-care centre would lose the bushland and shade protection for children.

“The staff, they’ve been in tears, it’s absolutely awful.”

The senior data analyst said the children had loved running up to the fence to see the abundant wildlife, which included bush turkeys, wallabies, birds and goanna.

“It’s a big part of what makes that place really special; it’s an amazing day-care with amazing staff,” he said.

“One of the reasons we chose it is the big outdoor area with natural bushland surrounding it and they’ve decided to bring a car-park right up to the boundary fence.”

The child-care centre is one of two facilities operating on the Douglas Campus.

Work at the back of the Unicare Centre. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A JCU spokesman said the new 350-bay car-park was replacing an old, unsealed car-park to meet increasing demand at the northern end of campus.

He said the area that was previously revegetated near the child-care centre would not be affected by the development, and none of the trees planted by Unicare and JCU would be removed.

“JCU will also plant additional trees and other plants between the child-care centre and the new car park.”

The spokesman said a qualified ecologist examined the site before work began and “did not find any fauna that needed relocating”.

“JCU will plant additional trees and other plants between the child-care centre and the new car-park, as well as large parts of the perimeter of the car park,” he said.

“This landscape buffer is intended to provide a level of separation and screening in addition to the mature vegetation which has been left untouched along the Western fence line of Unicare.”

The Unicare Centre, a JCU entity in operation on JCU land since 1995, has a capacity of 80 children and is full with an extensive waiting list.

The facility is popular with parents working at JCU, Townsville University Hospital, the defence industry and other members of the public.

Staff at the Unicare Centre declined to comment.

Originally published as Unicare Centre trees removed to make way for parking lot, parent says