Childcare centre approval rankles residents, raises traffic concerns

The 100-place centre, at 2 Record Street, was conditionally approved by planning staff on November 29.

Resident Catherine McCarthy said everyone in the street lodged an objection when the development application was resubmitted in June. While no one was opposed to more childcare in Goulburn, the Record Street facility's location in a cul-de-sac, potential traffic, parking and noise impacts, its bulk and scale and associated car fumes were key concerns.

It follows similar concerns over a proposed 120-place childcare centre on the corner of Deccan and Mount Streets, Goulburn.

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The two-storey Record Street centre, with basement parking for 25 cars, would cater for children aged nought to five, and employ 14 staff.

Ms McCarthy said planning staff had advised them earlier in the year, when the DA was first submitted, that councillors would decide the matter. Further, objectors would be able to speak during public forum at the meeting.

"We were hoping to let the rest of Goulburn know what was going on (with this centre) but that didn't happen," Ms McCarthy said.

"...That's the rub. We've had no public consultation, just a letter this week saying the DA had been decided by delegation (staff)."

However a council spokesperson said staff approved the application because it did not "meet any of the triggers for escalation" in its 'Development Assessment and Decision Making Policy'.

"An assessment of the information provided as part of the DA, and the submissions received from the public, was carried out and found that the development as proposed was mostly compliant with the relevant legislation, policies, standards, guidelines, and codes," the spokesperson said.

"Issues remained primarily in relation to onsite carparking, however these were able to be discharged following a reduction of the number of children (from 109 to 100) that will be catered for by the development."

The council said DAs were typically refined between lodgement and determination.

"The council does not typically re-exhibit or re-consult unless a proposal has been subject to substantial changes throughout this process," the spokesperson said.

"In this instance, the reduction in the number of children being cared for was not considered a change substantial enough to warrant re-exhibition."

The council said an initial DA, received in February, was rejected before being formally accepted because it contained "insufficient information" for public exhibition and assessment.

When it was revised, it attracted resident objections, including a 100-signature petition. The council received 10 submissions in total.

"The concerns we had were never addressed and we never had any feedback on our submissions," resident Julie Archer said.

"Our concern is the (nearby) Taralga Rd/Queen Street intersection, where the traffic count is quite mind-boggling, and the fact that this is a cul-de-sac. There will also be fumes from cars dropping off children and while they say there will be a filtration system (from the underground car park) where will they be extracted to? We have prevailing westerly winds."

Five two-storey townhouses are also planned at the end of Record Street, which she said would generate more traffic. Bradfordville School is also located nearby.

Resident Sue Burgess feared a vehicle could strike a child, if they weren't visible. She pointed out that a bus already dropped children to an NDIS house two doors up from the proposed childcare centre.

Council conditions include vehicles' maximum 5km/h speed limit at the centre, noise attenuation and a 1.2 metre wide footpath to be provided in front of the centre around the cul-de-sac, which borders Hudson Park.

She and others argued the two-storey structure would be out of character with the street and existing homes could be damaged during excavation for a car-park.

Council conditions require a dilapidation survey and a report on all neighbouring structures, including roads, to be submitted and approved before a construction certificate is issued.

Several residents have lived in the street for more than 50 years.

Mrs Burgess said childcare was "badly needed" in Goulburn but stressed there was also a staff shortage.

"I can't understand the logic of demolishing a perfectly good house and building a childcare centre in this street, which is not suited to handle the extra traffic," she said.

Ms Archer agreed.

"This is a blip in the council's decision making but we will be stuck with it for a lifetime and we shouldn't be ignored," she said.

"There has been nothing to alleviate our concern and distress...This will affect our lifestyle, tranquility and privacy."

In related news, a DA proposing demolition of 66 Dalley Street, Bradfordville, and construction of a 115-place childcare centre is on public exhibition until January 15.

Another plan for a 63-place childcare centre at 88 Queen Street remains under assessment. It is located several hundred metres from the Record Street facility and also involves a house's demolition and basement car-parking.