By Vanessa Chircop
THE proposed Newport Gardens Early Years Centre could see the Williamstown Childcare Cooperative close down.
Hobsons Bay Council last week moved to make an appointment for the provision of architectural services for the detailed design of the Newport Gardens Early Centre.
Cr Angela Altair told the council that she supported the motion but said the “fantastic new facility in the Newport area” would affect the Williamstown Co-op.
“Our staff are working with the Willy co-op people and they’re grappling with that,” she said.
“I just wanted to state publicly that the council is not glibly supporting this without being conscience of the fact that we’re going to have to work with the committee and parents in a very sensitive way.”
Cr Altair said she believed the council will have no choice but to eventually close down the Williamstown Childcare Co-operative.
“They just don’t have the room to be able to comply with the more stringent conditions that they’re going to be facing in a couple of years,” she said.
“It will mean no public childcare facility will be left in that section of our city – so we need to all be aware of that and work with our officers and the committee and the parents to see if we can find a solution that everyone can live with.”
The Newport Gardens Early Years Centre is estimated to cost $4.5 million and will be located on the Newport Gardens Primary School site on Maddox Rd.
