Hannah Hammoud
More than a year on from the permanent closure of the creche at the Sunshine Leisure Centre, residents are calling for it to be reopened to cater for expected population growth.
Albion and Ardeer Community Club vice president Neil Head described the closure as ‘distressing’ to the community.
In a letter penned to Brimbank chief executive Fiona Blair, Mr Head said the decision made by council officers to permanently close the Sunshine Leisure Centre creche was an administrative action not supported by the community.
“With the future population growth projected for the Sunshine area, as part of ’Sunshine Superhub’ and related proposals, it is surely more relevant to retain part-time creche services at the local pool, possibly on a shared-space basis, than to provide one-usage-only gym space, which is of course also readily available nearby on commercial premises,” Mr Head wrote.
Mr Head said the community is calling on the decision to be reconsidered by council, at a formal council meeting.
Brimbank council community wellbeing director Lynley Dumble said the creche had been significantly ‘underutilised’ for a number of years.
“Its operation comes at a significant cost to council for a service with minimal use and therefore limited community benefit,” she said.
“Since the leisure centre re-opened post-COVID lockdown, the creche experienced a drop in demand while the leisure centre has experienced an increase in demand for its group fitness so it makes sense to re-purpose the space for this use.
“A survey of Sunshine Leisure Centre members previously conducted by council with over 800 responses indicated less than 1 per cent of respondents used the crèche while it also identified a large unmet demand for additional group fitness and gym programs.”
Ms Dumble said the decision to permanently close the crèche was made after community consultation was undertaken in July last year.
However Mr Head said the decision is one that is ‘short-sighted’ given the population demand expected for Sunshine in the coming years.
Council’s own ‘Transforming Brimbank Vision’ highlights that Brimbank and Melbourne’s west is expecting billion-dollar investments in infrastructure in the next 10 years.
“Most of this will be in Sunshine Precinct, which may see up to 43,000 additional residents and an additional 29,000 jobs created by 2051,” reads council’s vision.
Mr Head said it seems ‘contradictory’ that council is touting Sunshine as the CBD of Melbourne’s west at the same time creche services are being closed.
“Council’s contemplating Sunshine’s population to grow extraordinarily in the coming years. That growing population will include a lot of families and babies which would mean that creche services is something you would plan for and want to grow and sustain – not close and desist,” he said.
