Stockland sees future in childcare, commences construction on $3.7 million childcare centre in Qld

Stockland is extending its community building capabilities to provide much needed childcare facilities for future families across its residential masterplanned communities.

The diversified property company will this week commence construction on its first Childcare Centre within a residential masterplan community at its Aura community on the Sunshine Coast.

The new $3.7 million centre will feature a 952 square metre outdoor playspace and provide a ground-breaking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) focused approach to early learning education.

Ben Cantwell, Stockland General Manager for Medium Density and Retirement Living Development, said: “We are excited to start construction on Stockland’s first standalone childcare centre, outside of the retail portfolio.”

“This development is in line with our strategy to deliver the best communities in the country – providing excellent outcomes for residents and providing key infrastructure close to home.

“Approximately 1.3 million children are expected to attend some form of child care service over 2017-18. With Australia’s birth and population rate consistently on the rise and revenues set to increase by 34.2% to $12.1 billion by 2019-20, we see growth in the sector as a true opportunity¹.”

“Providing our residents with access to innovative childcare and education options early on in the development lifecycle, gives future generations the best possible start in life and makes working easier for mums and dads”, Ben Cantwell said.

Stockland’s focus on the community-creating benefits of childcare will continue to drive the facilities across its masterplanned communities, with a pipeline of another six centres underway.

Stockland will develop and own each centre building, sourcing leading early education partners to run the centres.

Ben Cantwell continues, “As Australia’s largest masterplan developer we see the sector’s growth as true opportunity to provide excellent outcomes for residents and the broader business.”

The new Aura Childcare Centre will be operated by Goodstart Early Learning, Australia’s largest early learning provider. The centre will be co-located directly opposite the new Baringa Primary School which also offers a STEM focussed curriculum as well as a robotics laboratory, a recording studio and 3D printers. The Aura Childcare Centre will offer 132 spaces to local families and is expected to open in January 2019.

Aura is the largest masterplanned community ever undertaken in Australia under single ownership and over the next 30 years Stockland will create more than 20,000 new homes across the 24 square kilometre site.

The city will feature a 200 kilometre network of cycleways, a 700 hectare Environmental Protection Zone, numerous parks and sporting facilities plus two business and enterprise parks and will create up to 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.

¹ Ibis World Child Care Services Report, December 2017