The proposed Walla Early Years Childhood Hub will be Greater Hume Council’s biggest investment in the town since 2003.
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The community has campaigned for five-day-a-week services for years, and the project took a big step forward last year with $277,000 awarded by the federal government, on top of a similar council contribution.
Original designs put the hub behind the existing Soldiers Memorial Hall on Commercial Street, but concerns were raised about impacts to hall activities and the need for street frontage.
Moving the hub to front Queen Street presented a shortfall of $252,000, which has now been filled through the NSW government’s Stronger Communities Fund.
General manager Steven Pinnuck said council intended to acquire an old rural merchandise store and land on the corner of the intersection, with talks underway with the owners.
“(Associated costs) are all incorporated in the funding approved – we will only have to apply for a variation for the federal funding to change the location of the project to the new site,” he said.
“The size of the building will be the same, but the additional funding will allow us to acquire the new site and construct a sealed car park for use of the hub and the hall with about 30 spaces.
“The WAW Credit Union building is on one side, there’s a grass area which will remain and the new building will be on the other corner with the car park on the back.
“We want it to be a multi-functional community asset.”
The new location brings the project to $779,000.
Mr Pinnuck believes a development application will be ready for approval before the end of the financial year, with construction hoped to start in September.
It’s expected Albury Wodonga Community Early Years Childcare would be the service provider.
Kim Lieschke, a resident and member of the development committee, believed the break-even point of 20 children a day would be met.
“I can give many examples of people who haven’t taken employment because they didn’t have this,” he said.
“The committee has estimated in Walla there’s 13 jobs that could be filled – with that you need children’s services to complement.”
Mum Cass Jacobs said the hub would make Walla a more attractive place to raise a family.
“My husband’s a farmer, so it will mean I can potentially have a job,” she said.
“Without before and after school care, it limits when parents can work.
“It’s a really great result for the community, key people like Kim Lieschke and Daniel Nadebaum have really fought for it for a long time – now we’ve got it.”