$2,700 short term improvements approved for Eastside Childcare Centre plus in principle agreement for further expansion - Liverpool Plains Shire Council (LPSC) has approved short term improvements totalling $2,700 for the Eastside Childcare Centre as well as giving approval in principle to Centre extensions, pending firm quotations for this project being provided to Council. Eastside’s Manager recently met with Council’s Director Corporate and Community Services to discuss possible extensions to the Centre’s nursery after being inundated with enquiries for nursery enrolments in 2015. The Centre’s nursery is currently operating at its full capacity of eight children and the proposal is to expand this by four places. “If Eastside is to retain good numbers into the future it is important to enrol as many nursery aged children as possible. It will be economical to extend the nursery to cope with days of high demand. To achieve this, the available floor space needs to be increased and the cot room extended to cater for twelve spaces. An expanded nursery can generate additional income, which after all expenses will return a net profit. In fact, with a high occupancy rate, the extension should pay for itself in one year. Expansion of Eastside to a 45 placement centre will require approval from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority,” said Chair LPSC Corporate and Community Services Committee, Councillor Ian Lobsey OAM. “The short term improvements totalling $2,700 include planting new lawn outside the nursery, planting mature trees in the new playground, installation of raised garden beds, purchase of garden pots and placement of sandstone rocks in the playground. In the medium term a water feature is being investigated plus a shade sail for the new oval and further playground improvements will be included for consideration in the 2015/16 budget,” he said. “Expansion of facilities at Eastside is possible due to the turnaround in the Centre’s financial situation over the last twelve months. Thanks to careful management the Centre is now returning small monthly profits that can be reinvested in further improvements to its amenity. Expansion of the nursery has the potential to further improve this situation as well as providing better resources for the Shire’s kids,” Councillor Lobsey concluded.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 22:25:01 +0000