Families rally to save beloved Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse from redevelopment discussions

Hundreds of families have joined forces to save a cherished children’s play centre, after the local council revealed it was considering plans to turn it into a kindergarten.

Parents say they have been left “blindsided” and “devastated” after Bayside City Council announced it was considering to redevelop the community’s beloved Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse (BCP) into a kindergarten.

Families who attend the not-for-profit facility are pleading with the council to spare the 40-year-old playhouse from its plans to expand the area’s preschool supply, following the state government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms.

The council said in October the Beaumaris area was on track to see a “shortfall of kindergarten spaces soon”, which will force families to enrol their children into preschools outside the suburb.

It had held discussions to expand facilities, with initial feasibility studies suggesting the redevelopment of the playhouse and neighbouring Jack & Jill Kindergarten has “good potential for integration and enhancement to meet future needs”.

More than 1400 parents have signed a petition to save the children community centre. Picture: Supplied

But BCP president Allison Gaunt, on behalf of over 1400 parents who signed a petition to save the children’s centre, urged the council to reconsider its “redevelopment pathways”.

“If the plans to turn the BCP site into a kindergarten were to progress, it would destroy the essence of BCP as we know it; a beautiful, humble home with a large backyard for kids to ride bikes, climb trees and play on the swings,” she said.

Ms Gaunt said it’s impossible to quantify what the playhouse means to its 170 members, as well as dozens of other families who are on a waitlist to join the facility next year.

“(If BCP got downgraded) we would not be able to serve the community in the way we do now … and I think that would be a real shame,” she said.

Mother-of-three Claire Langford uses the facility and is angered by the council’s discussions to close the playhouse’s doors, adding it would have “an unimaginable ripple-effect on the wellbeing of young Bayside families”.

“The Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse is unique … Losing it would be a devastating loss to the community,” she said.

Member for Sandringham Brad Rowswell also “vigorously opposed” discussions to turn BCP into a kindergarten.

“BCP is under threat because of poor government policy and a local council that appears to have made a decision about its future without speaking with the community first,” he said.

Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse is a members-only facility that has indoor and outdoor play equipment and areas. Picture: Supplied

While the council understood the social connections and wellbeing benefits the playhouse provided, Bayside City Council Director of Community and Customer Experience Tilla Buden said it was still being “included and considered in plans”.

“No decisions have been made. We are still in the early phases of working with stakeholders including the kindergarten and playhouse committee to ensure that all current and future needs are considered,” she said.

If redevelopment plans were to progress, this would occur no earlier than 2025 subject to funding and planning approvals.

BCP is a facility for children aged under six, with parents required to pay an annual $350 membership fee to use the centre.