Upgrade plan to increase kindy places

MORE childcare places will be available with plans for an extra 67 spaces at a Jensen centre.

Rosalind Corporation is behind the development, which has been lodged with Townsville City Council.

The plans are now available for public comment.

The plan is to refurbish the Jensen Early Learning Centre at 79 Veales Rd, Jensen, and extend after that.

The refurbishment will create an additional 11 spaces and the extension an extra 56.

Documents lodged with the council show the proposed extension will take the form of a detached building with a floor area of 398 sqm and will be a maximum of 6.7m high.

“The refurbishment works associated with the existing centre will form part of a separate building works application,” it reads.

The application says the expansion will cater for the growing needs of the community.

“The proposed extension will be a separate building located to the west of the existing centre,” the application reads.

The proposed extension plans to have four rooms, two sleep rooms, two bathrooms, two prep rooms, a staffroom, laundry, two internal store areas and one outdoor store.

Despite the application saying the extension was needed for the community’s growing needs, Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland president Majella Fitzsimmons said there was an oversupply of childcare places in Queensland.

Ms Fitzsimmons, who lives in Townsville, said in certain parts of Queensland there were a large number of centres that record occupancy rates between 50- 70 per cent.

“From the research we have done they need 70- 80 per cent occupancy to break even,” she said. “There’s some services that are struggling in Queensland and Townsville.”

Ms Fitzsimmons said throughout the state 10 per cent of centres had a waiting list. She said this was mostly due to centres having a good reputation, particularly in Townsville.

“Townsville is basically a 15minute drive from everywhere, so people can pick and choose where they want,” she said.

“With the spotlight on childcare, it has really lifted the quality of centres, we’re now seen as educators, not just babysitters.”

A study conducted by Urban Economics and commissioned by Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland in August last year found there were 156 proposed, approved and under construction early childhood education and care services in Queensland.

Since then, the organisation says this has increased to 213, up 36 per cent.

Ms Fitzsimmons urged developers to do their research on whether there was a demand for childcare services before they built or planned anything.

Although there is more competition in the sector than before, another problem the organisation has identified is the impact on prices.

Ms Fitzsimmons said some centres charged higher prices to parents.

The developer was contacted for comment.