Hockey ACT lodges plans for Lyneham and Greenway childcare centres

Canberra could welcome two new childcare centres as early as mid-this year if plans lodged by Hockey ACT are approved.

The organisation has lodged development applications for centres to built on unused sections land at its Lyneham and Greenway sites.

Hockey ACT chief executive officer Gavin Hunt said Kids Club Childcare would build and operate both centres, which are due to open mid-this year, pending the approval process.

He said Hockey ACT would essentially act as each childcare centre’s landlord, with the extra revenue helping fund the $2.5 million refurbishment of Lyneham’s National Hockey Centre.

A $1.4-million childcare centre will be built north-east of the hockey centre on Mouat Street.

It will offer up to 111 places, targeting northside families commuting to the city for work.

The centre, which will be accessed from Riggall Place, will include a number of activity and sleep rooms, play equipment, a mini-bike track, light and sound gardens, a cubby house, food planting lots and extra landscaping.

It will rely on the hockey centre’s existing car park and nearby public parking. 

The development application for the Greenway centre was not publicly-available on Thursday however, Mr Hunt said it would offer about 125 places.

It will be built at the south-western end of the Tuggeranong Hockey Park site, which is located near the Department of Human Services and the Department of Social Services.

Last year Planning Minister Mick Gentleman approved the deconcessionalisation of Hockey ACT’s Lyneham and Tuggeranong leases, wavering associated fees.

The crown lease purpose clause for each site has also been varied to include a childcare centre. 

Mr Hunt said the refurbishment of the Lyneham centre would not be possible without the extra revenue from the new childcare centres, which will help pay off an existing loan.

“It’s about the long-term sustainability of hockey in Canberra,” he said.

“This allows us to off-set our reliance on membership fees. The long-term hope is not to increase our membership fees to continue to survive.”