Proposed new Mt Barker childcare centre on council agenda

The couple pushing for a new childcare centre in Mt Barker hope to able to open the centre in the first half of 2023.

Shire of Plantagenet councillors will vote at Tuesday night’s meeting on an application by Joanne and Andrew Talmage to establish Skylar Early Childhood Education and Care at the corner of Lowood Road and Short Street.

The proposal is for a 24-place long daycare centre which will operate from 7.30am to 6.30pm for children aged zero to five.

Plantagenet Early Learning and Development Centre, which is operated by Wanslea and also has a 24-place capacity, is the only licensed centre in town.

Ms Talmage said there was a high level of demand for childcare services in the town.

“We’re looking to meet the need of the community,” she said.

“There is a huge need as there is only one childcare centre in Mt Barker which is full with a wait list.

“So there are families which just don’t have access to child care and having to travel half an hour for child care is very difficult.”

A report prepared for councillors said that because the proposed centre was in an area zoned for commercial use, a public comment period would be required for approval to be granted.

The report recommends councillors accept a $45,000 cash payment in lieu of providing 10 parking spaces at the Shire’s rate of $4500 per bay.

There is a huge need as there is only one childcare centre in Mt Barker which is full with a wait list.

After a 28-day public comment period, another report would be prepared for council ahead of its December meeting.

Ms Talmage said she hoped the community would support the location as it was a convenient one in the centre of town.

She said the building, which housed the town’s Westpac bank until its closure in 2018, would be completely refitted for purpose.

“The back part of the building is essentially an old house,” she said.

“It has a big kitchen that we’ll convert into a commercial kitchen and there is plenty of big rooms for the different age groups.

“The big yard needs a fair bit of work, but we’ve employed a landscaping consultant to make sure its safe so it’ll meet all the planning regulations.”

The application submitted to council states that Ms Talmage has “over a decade (of) experience working with children in diverse communities” and that her husband, Andrew, has an “impressive career in youth, disability and community services”.

Ms Talmage said the couple had been looking to establish a centre “for some time” and they also hoped to set up a centre in Albany.

“As soon as we find somewhere to lease in Albany we can open there, we did have somewhere but it fell through,” she said.

“This one in Barker is going ahead and hopefully we’ll also have one in Albany because we’re really keen to meet this need in the community.”