Council to sell Gatton Child Care Centre
Lockyer Valley Regional Council will transition ownership of Gatton Child Care Centre to a new operator after identifying a suitable buyer.
Councillors officially endorsed Council to accept the offer from VR Co Corporations Pty Ltd (VR Co Corporations) at its Ordinary Council Meeting yesterday.
The move comes after Council resolved earlier this year to conduct an open tender process to test the market for the sale of the centre as a ‘going concern’.
Deputy Mayor Chris Wilson said a private sector operator specialising in childcare was best placed to meet the region’s growing demand for childcare.
“We have achieved what we set out to do and this is great news for our childcare centre families, the community, ratepayers and our childcare centre staff,” he said.
“The 59-place centre has been close to full occupancy for some time now and it’s not viable for Council to expand the centre.
“Transitioning out of the childcare sector will allow Council to focus its resources on its core business, such as improving our roads and delivering cost-effective services that benefit our whole community and that are primarily Council’s responsibility.
“This new operator also won’t be hamstrung by regulatory constraints imposed on public sector entities and can respond more quickly to the needs of the business.”
The centre was established by the former Gatton Shire Council in 1989 to address an identified need for childcare in the area. Since then, the sector has grown significantly and the region is now serviced by a range of industry-specialised operators.
This is not the first foray into childcare for VR Co Corporations, which also owns Little Rascals Child Care Centre in Killarney and First Steps Early Childhood Learning Centre in Atherton.
Cr Wilson said Council was committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for all involved.
“Most importantly, there will be no loss of service to the community during this process, which is something we wanted to avoid at all costs,” he said.
“Parents and caregivers and our childcare staff have been kept regularly updated since we decided to embark on this process, and we will continue to work closely with all parties as the sale progresses.
“I extend my thanks to our wonderful and caring staff who have created such a warm and inviting centre which is not only well respected within the community, but also ranks ‘excellent’ on the National Quality Standard ratings, which sets the high benchmark for early childcare education and care services in Australia.”
It is anticipated the sale process will be completed no later than 30 November 2024.
