Gisborne Early Years Hub site proposal
Macedon Ranges Shire Council adopted a confidential report at the March
Ordinary Council Meeting regarding potential sites for the development of an
Early Years Hub.
Council would like to determine the feasibility of land located between the
cemetery, the Gisborne Secondary School precinct and some residences
(also known as the Pine Plantation) as a possible site.
The following information in the form of questions and answers is designed to
provide information and to engage you in an initial consultation process as a
key stakeholder.
Why is the Council report confidential?
Council has identified key stakeholders to consult with initially due to a
number of matters including ownership and interest in this and other sites.
Initial Consultation
Macedon Ranges Shire Council wish to engage with key stakeholders in the
initial stages to seek your views on this proposed site prior to considering the
site further.
The key stakeholders for this initial consultation stage include:
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Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development (DEECD)
The Gisborne Cemetery Trust
Gisborne Secondary School
Residents within close proximity to the site
Grant Avenue Kindergarten
Potential partners /service providers
This initial consultation stage is very preliminary as it recognises that Council
does not own the land.
Further consultation
Following initial consultation with key stakeholders, Council will consider
the feedback and the merits of further investigating this site. This may
include conducting a traffic study and soil tests for example. A broader
community consultation plan will then be implemented.
Why was this site identified as a potential site for an Early Years Hub?
Council has worked through a process to identify suitable sites for an early
years hub in Gisborne.
The Pine Plantation is one of the shortlisted sites for the proposed
integrated Early Years Hub. The site meets the following key criteria for
such a centre:
 Sufficient room with a footprint of approximately 4,020m2 (this includes
onsite car parking spaces and required set back etc)
 Location in the central or southern areas of Gisborne to service growth
areas.
 Safe access via car, cycling and walking.
The site is 17,964m2 (approximately 1.8 hectares) in size and currently
contains a pine plantation. It is situated between the Secondary College
and residential housing on the south boundary and the Gisborne Public
Cemetery to the north boundary.
The land is zoned Public Use Zone 2 – Education. This along with the fact
that there are no overlays makes the site suitable for the development of
an Early Years Hub from a planning perspective.
The land is owned by the Victorian Government’s Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development (DEECD).
Located approximately 970 meters south of the town centre, there are
sealed footpaths from the town centre to the site. There is also potential to
develop linkages to the Gisborne Secondary College.
How many other sites were considered?
The Pine Plantation has been shortlisted from an original list of sites across
Gisborne. Of all of the sites, this one has been prioritised for further
investigation. This list was compiled from an integrated child and family
centre feasibility study in 2012 and other suggestions by community
members, land owners, Councillors and Council staff.
Over a number of Councillor Briefings, Councillors considered all sites
listed against a range of criteria that included cost, location, availability,
timeframe, access, bushfire risk, attractiveness to potential hub partners
and likely community support or opposition.
What is the proposed footprint of the hub?
The hub would have a footprint of approximately 4,020m2 (this includes
onsite car parking spaces and required set back etc)
The pine plantation site also provides two possible options for street
frontage. Access to a hub could be considered from Aitkin Street or from
Melton Road. For this reason, residents immediately opposite both
frontages are being consulted in the initial consultation process.
What is an integrated early year’s hub?
Macedon Ranges Shire Council aim to provide an environment that fosters
relationships between families, services and the broader community. An
integrated Early Years Hub offers a range of family and children’s services
in one location. It provides opportunities for families to feel part of a
community and to access services they may not normally use. This
approach is consistent with state and federal government policy direction.
Why do we need this Centre?
Building an integrated Early Years Hub in Gisborne will build a more
coordinated system of early year’s services in Gisborne. It will improve
access to essential community services such as kindergarten, maternal
and child health and other family and children’s services.
There are not enough kindergarten places in Gisborne to meet future
demand. There are two factors affecting this - population growth in the
early years demographic and the requirement for all kindergartens to
increase the hours of weekly service offered to every child from 10 to 15
hours.
Swinburne Avenue Kindergarten has some capacity; however, Gisborne
(Grant Avenue) Kindergarten is currently at maximum capacity. Operating
a service from this current site is not sustainable as it is landlocked and
there is no scope for expansion.
Council also manage the Maternal and Child Health service in Gisborne.
This service is currently operating from a rented property close to other
primary health care services and the Gisborne central business district. It is
timely to integrate the Maternal and Child Health and kindergarten services
in Gisborne.
Late in 2012 Council began the search for an alternative location for a
kindergarten that will also accommodate the Maternal and Child Health
service and other complimentary services for families and children. The
proposal is to relocate Gisborne Kindergarten into an integrated Early
Years Hub.
What services would the Gisborne Integrated Early Years Hub
contain?
The proposed Gisborne integrated early years hub aims to provide:
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A kindergarten with two class/playrooms with capacity to provide
universal access (15 hours of preschool) for four year olds.
Three year old kindergarten programs.
Opportunities for families to feel part of a community and to use
meeting spaces in a child friendly setting.
Access to Maternal and Child Health, and other services, in a noninstitutionalised setting, particularly for families that may not be aware
of these services or normally pursue these supports.
Multipurpose spaces to accommodate toy library and other
complimentary services for families and children as required for
example playgroups.
Spaces for community groups.
How many people are expected to use the hub on a daily basis?
The hub would be licensed for up to 66 children at the kindergarten. There
would also be visitors to maternal and childhealth nurses and other
services for example the toy library. Community groups and networks may
also use the hub facilities throughout the week.
How long would it take to build the hub?
The timeframe to having the site build-ready is approximately 18 months to
two years pending results of community consultation, the process to obtain
the land from State Government and the clearing and preparation of the
site.
The building stage is expected to take 6-12 months.
When is construction expected to begin?
It is expected that construction would not start before 2015.
How much will the development cost?
Previous estimates have been $3.8 million to build. If the land is
determined to be suitable for the purpose of an Early Years Hub then a
new cost analysis will be undertaken to take into account the specific
requirements of this site.
How will Council pay for the development?
If the site is deemed suitable, Council will review the cost in order to
determine the best approach to fund this facility. Council will seek external
sources of funding for example applying to the Victorian Government for an
Integrated Children Centre grant of $1.5 million under the Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) Children’s Facilities
Capital program.
Council is unlikely to develop such a facility without financial support from
state and / or federal government to contribute to the project.
Is this Council land?
No, the Pine Plantation currently belongs to the Victorian Government’s
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD).
Council will consult with DEECD to determine the availability and suitability
of the site for this purpose.
Where will the hub users park?
The hub will provide on-site parking spaces.
What about road access and traffic management?
There are two potential options for access to the site depending on where a
hub could be situated on the parcel of land (Aitkin Street or Melton Road).
Following feedback from key stakeholders, we will be better placed to
determine a preferred street frontage that will then guide further
investigation for road access and traffic management measures.
As a key stakeholder, Council welcomes your views regarding the location
of a hub on the site.
What will happen with the rest of the site?
The Gisborne Cemetery Trust has an interest in obtaining land to expand
the cemetery.
Given that the footprint of the proposed hub is just more than 4,000m2, the
hub development would not require the whole site. It is proposed that
further consultation occur with the Gisborne Cemetery Trust Board to
determine if it is possible to develop a shared approach to developing the
site that will meet the objectives of both Council and the Cemetery Trust
Board.
Do you have feedback about the proposal?
As a key stakeholder, your views are important to us. There are
opportunities for you to offer feedback and tell us what you do or do not like
about the idea of building an Early Years Hub at the Pine Plantation site.
Council staff will be available by appointment on 18 April between 9am and
8pm at the Gisborne Council offices. If you wish to make an appointment
for a meeting please call Community Wellbeing on 5422 0250.
can provide written feedback to Council by emailing:
communitywellbeing@mrsc.vic.gov.au
Or by post to:
Gisborne Early Years Hub site proposal
Macedon Ranges Shire Council
P O Box 151
Kyneton VIC 3444
Written feedback for the initial consultation stage is required by Friday 2
May 2013.