New childcare facilities on campus FAQs

Current status – Tuesday 1 October.

As you may be aware, the University is investing $8 million in two new childcare facilities on its Acton campus.

ANU, Heritage Early Childhood Centre (Heritage) and University Preschool Child Care Centre (UPCCC) have agreed key terms for the provision of high-quality childcare in the new facilities.

We are now in the final stages of drafting the agreements for execution with both providers and we will make an announcement in due course. We will provide further updates on final arrangements for the other childcare providers in the coming weeks.

The new facilities will be prioritising spots for current ANU staff and students. Families who haven’t done so already are encouraged to contact Heritage and UPCCC as soon as possible regarding a place for 2025.  Any remaining spots will then be opened to the wider community.

What is wrong with the current heritage-listed buildings? Are they safe?

The heritage-listed buildings require significant maintenance to ensure safety. Although they are currently safe, maintaining them is costly and unsustainable. The presence of historic lead-based paint poses an unacceptable risk of flaking which poses particular health and safety risks for children.  

Heritage regulations restrict necessary improvements, and further repairs are not feasible due to past damage and the need to preserve heritage value. 

The University has sought external expert advice regarding the management of the lead-paint removal and heritage remediation. You can read the reports for child care paint removal and the heritage remediation advice. 

For these reasons, the University is investing in new, purpose-built facilities to eliminate these risks and provide a safer, more sustainable environment.

Why did ANU not release the Heritage Reports earlier?

Undertaking heritage assessments across our campus infrastructure when looking at building remediation options is regular business for the University. 

We made this report available once providers and families asked us to. We had to get clearance to release the reports and released them as soon as that was confirmed.

Why has ANU not consulted with the federal Minister for the Environment and Water or the Department of Environment as recommended by GML Heritage?

We have received advice from an independent expert, which clearly indicates that overturning heritage obligations is highly unlikely and would require ministerial intervention. We are satisfied with this advice.

Why is ANU investing in these new childcare facilities?

By investing in these facilities, ANU can ensure our childcare services on campus continue to provide families with high-quality childcare in new facilities and with minimal disruptions. 

We have also received feedback from childcare providers, parents and guardians that the current heritage buildings are not fit-for-purpose. These new facilities will enhance our services on campus and provide a structurally fit environment for children’s education and learning.

How long will the Childcare 1.0 (existing facility) last?

The Childcare 1.0 facility is designed to have a lifespan that readily exceeds 15 years. This lifespan can be extended further with a strong preventative and statutory maintenance program. 

The construction materials are highly durable and well-suited to the ACT climate. In addition, the National Capital Authority (NCA) has granted ANU a 10-year approval to use this facility for childcare, with options to extend this period, subject to NCA approval. 

The buildings have always been designed with long-term use and childcare in mind, ensuring their suitability and longevity for childcare purposes.

Will the two new facilities be able to accommodate the current demand from the University?

ANU families using the four heritage childcare centres will have priority place in the new facilities and it is anticipated these will have enough places to meet the current ANU demand.

What does this mean for placements in 2025 if I have a child/children already in one of the community centres?

Families will have continuity of care arrangements by ensuring, as part of the procurement process, that the successful provider(s) prioritise places for existing ANU families in the new facilities.

It is anticipated these will have enough places to meet the current ANU demand. Families who haven’t done so already are encouraged to contact their providers as soon as possible regarding a place for 2025.

Will existing non-ANU families have secured places in the new centres?

While all efforts will be made to ensure the transition of all families to the new facilities, ANU families will have priority.

Will children on the waitlist who are expecting an offer in 2025 to an existing centre get an offer in one of the new centres?

We are prioritising places for existing ANU families. Like all childcare providers, being on a waitlist is never a guarantee of a place.

When did ANU notify childcare providers on campus?

The University met with the four community childcare providers on 13 June to discuss the childcare arrangements for 2025.

Please note that Goodstart Early Learning ANU centre is not impacted by these arrangements, as their commercial agreement is separate from the community childcare providers on campus. However, as a courtesy, Goodstart were provided an update on 14 June.

How will ANU keep everyone updated?

We will continue to work closely with our childcare providers on campus. Our priority is to ensure our childcare providers, parents and guardians are informed throughout the process.

Our wider community will be updated via the University’s flagship newsletter On Campus. We will also continue to update the FAQs here.

If you would like to share your ideas or suggestions for the new facilities, please email it through to commercial.services@anu.edu.au. 

What will the new facilities include?

We will provide this information as soon as we can. If you would like to share your ideas or suggestions for the new facilities, please email it through to commercial.services@anu.edu.au. 

Why can’t the University just upgrade or continue to maintain the current buildings?

We need new facilities because the centres are currently based in heritage-listed buildings. Heritage regulations mean we are severely restricted in the improvements we can make to their structures inside and out. These buildings were designed and built in a different era, and while we maintain them diligently, the buildings are showing their age and will, in the coming months, require closure to carry out hail remediation work that is becoming increasingly necessary. 

How much maintenance do these buildings require?

In the last 12 months, the University has completed 244 corrective or reactive maintenance work orders at a cost of almost $1 million across the four heritage buildings where the childcare centres are based.  

Will the new buildings have certification?

New childcare facilities in the ACT are approved by the ACT Government's Children's Education and Care Assurance (CECA). CECA has met with the University on multiple occasions and has visited the sites for each new facility. While CECA does not give final approval until a building is complete and can undergo a physical inspection, its requirements are very clear and well-understood. ANU has no concerns about meeting these requirements, and we aim for our facilities to be excellent. We are working with a very experienced architect who has designed many high-quality childcare centres across Canberra and understands CECA requirements.  

What if the new building is not ready by January 2025?

We are confident that the new building will be ready in time. However, in the scenario where an existing provider is awarded the operation of new facility and there is an unforeseen delay, the University will work collaboratively to ensure that the continuation of quality childcare is maintained.

Archived FAQs

 

When will the procurement process take place?

The University is currently working with the four community childcare providers to negotiate directly and exclusively about ways they might operate the two new centres. Should we be unable to find agreement after these negotiations, a formal general procurement process will commence from 22 July 2024.

 

How will existing providers participate in operating the new childcare services?

Before any formal procurement process, we will collaborate with our four current community providers to seek proposals for operating the two new childcare centres. This approach values the existing providers' contributions and aims for consistency in staffing and care quality. Negotiations will begin in the week of 24 June, with the goal of reaching agreements by 22 July. If an agreement is not reached, a formal procurement process will commence to ensure continuous childcare services on campus.  

Why can't the current on campus childcare arrangements continue?

While our four community providers have offered excellent care over many years, the heritage-listed buildings have caused disruption due to the maintenance required to keep them operational. They require ongoing remedial work due to their age, internal water damage, historic traces of lead-based paint, and damage from the 2020 hailstorm.

As the current licences for community childcare are set to expire on 31 January 2025, this is the right time for ANU to enhance our service delivery to our community in two new purpose-built facilities.

We have invited the four community childcare centre operators to negotiate directly and exclusively with us about ways they might operate the two new centres. We hope this will enable ANU to offer the childcare services we all clearly value in excellent new facilities from January. 

Should we be unable to find an agreement after these negotiations, we will need to move to a formal general procurement process from 22 July to ensure childcare continues to operate on campus from the expiry of current licences in January 2025. 

The information on this page is the most up-to-date information on this issue, the University’s official position on this matter and supersedes all other information on any other website/s.

 

Reference documents

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