NEW CHILD CARE CENTRE APPROVED IN ECCO RIPLEY

A new child care centre has been approved in Ecco Ripley, one of Ipswich’s fastest growing suburbs, right across the road from another kindy which was recently given the green light by the council.

Ipswich City Council has approved the two-storey facility at 2 Brooking Rise in Ecco Ripley 11 months after a development application was first submitted.

The 162-place centre will be run by Kids Early Learning Centres, which already operates a dozen centres in Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, North Queensland and Goodna. The centre will operate from 6.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. The site within Ripley Valley Priority Development Area was being used as a sales office for the estate.

Another centre with capacity for 154 kids at 1 Brooking Rise was approved by the council in May.

The new Kids Early Learning Centre will have a gross floor area of 1070 m2 with nine playrooms and two separate outdoor play areas totalling 1417 m2.

The development application noted about 24 full-time staff will be needed to work there. Plans include 36 car parks which can be accessed via Tuckeroo Street.

“The site is bound by Ripley Road to the South, Brooking Rise to the East, Foxtail Road to the North and residential development to the West,” a council memorandum noted. “The ground floor incorporates the reception, a meeting room, kitchen, staffroom laundry and nine classrooms, associated sleep and bathroom facilities.

“Direct access to the outdoor play and car parking areas are available from the ground floor.

“The second storey includes a meeting room and staff amenities which is accessible via internal stairs and overlooks Ripley Road and the car park.

“The orientation of the buildings also assists in providing acoustic mitigation from the road to the play areas.

“To limit the extent of car parking visible from Ripley Road, the applicant is proposing an articulated fence which matches the design of the building and landscaping along the periphery of the site.

“A two metre high acoustic fence is provided along a corner of Ripley Road and Brooking Rise, a small portion of Brooking Rise and for the length of the play area along Foxtail Road.”

A private bus with room for 12 kids will be used to pick-up and drop-off children in the area.

“It is noted that there is one centre operational within the estate (7 Nevis Road) and a centre recently approved across the road at 1 Brooking Rise,” the council document stated.

“Owing to the centre at 1 Brooking Rise being located outside of the Commercial Mixed Use area, an economic report was prepared to support the application.

“In summary, the report concluded that ‘approval of the proposed centre will not delay the delivery of other centres. This is because the provision shortfall within the catchment is so significant and demand is growing at a rate such that one new centre is being demanded each year, but supply is not keeping up.”

By Lachlan McIvor, Ipswich Queensland Times, 8 July 2021