COUNCIL will put the lease of the Alma Institute on public display for 28 days with the aim of having the CWA Broken Hill branch move there.
At present, the Country Women’s Association Broken Hill branch is located in the Fred Jobson Community Centre in Patton Street.
There is hope that the CWA BH branch can move into the Alma Institute, which is next door, to allow for the whole of the community centre to be utilised by Playtime Preschool.
At the October Council meeting, councillors voted to approve, for the purposes of public exhibition, the granting of a 12-month licence for the Alma Institute to the Broken Hill CWA with the view to obtaining ministerial consent for a longer-term lease.
“That the proposed licence of the Alma Institute be placed on public exhibition for a period of 28 days for public comment,” was the resolution.
“That Council approve Playtime Preschool occupying the whole of the Fred Jobson Community Centre site and that the General Manager be authorised to negotiate Lease arrangements with Playtime Preschool.”
Playtime Preschool was established in 1952 and operates 29 places per day, five days a week accommodating 63 children weekly. Playtime currently has a waitlist of more than 100 children aged 0-5 with approximately 17 per cent of the children being Indigenous, Council’s report stated.
Playtime preschool keeps daily fees low, averaging $15 depending on the family’s circumstances providing essential affordable childcare.
“The proposed expansion of Playtime Preschool would add 40 placements per day and an additional 12 staff roles,” the Council report stated.
“Childcare is in high demand in the city and is a critical component of enhancing the city’s liveability and attraction of workers to the city.
“During consultation sessions for Council’s Asset Optimisation Project, it was identified that Playtime preschool would like to expand operations if they were able to occupy the whole of the Fred Jobson Community Centre.
“The current grant funding opportunities come at an ideal time, and it is hopeful that the application is successful.”
Regardless of the grant funding outcome, the ability for Playtime to occupy the entirety of the Centre will assist the expansion of the preschool and lead to more placements being available for Broken Hill children.
The Broken Hill Branch of the CWA is supportive of the expansion of Playtime preschool and has agreed to the relocation to the Alma Institute building.
The Alma Institute consists of five separate rooms and a verandah facing Patton street. The building is currently being utilised for storage while the new Library is being constructed, and the relocation of the CWA to the Alma institute will be timed to fit in with that project.
The Council report said the finishes, fittings and services of the building are currently in poor condition and require refurbishment including kitchen facilities and toilets to bring up to current standards to be fit for purpose.
These upgrades would be funded by Council with grant funding sought where possible. Budget for these upgrades will be sought through Council’s Budget processes.
