URGENT UPDATE: Mt Pleasant residents are rallying against a controversial proposal for a $3.5 million childcare centre that threatens to disrupt their community. The City of Melville is currently weighing plans for the centre at 34 and 36 St Michael Terrace, which would accommodate up to 113 children and employ 28 staff members, with operating hours from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
Residents voiced their concerns during a city council meeting on August 19, pleading for the local government to reject the proposal. A speaker at the meeting highlighted the “significant community uproar” surrounding the plans, emphasizing the potential negative impact on the area, particularly due to increased traffic and safety hazards for local school children. The proposed centre sits directly opposite Mt Pleasant Primary School, which already serves around 600 children.
“Will the City of Melville support the many local residents objecting to this huge childcare centre?” one concerned resident asked. The proposed facility could add an additional 150 children and staff to the location, exacerbating existing traffic congestion and creating safety risks as service and waste trucks would frequent the area daily from 6 AM.
Public submissions on the proposal closed on July 25, and now the City of Melville’s report on the matter is due to the Joint Development Assessment Panel (DAP) on September 5. Residents fear that the DAP may override legitimate community concerns, as has been the case in other developments across the region.
Tony Free, the city’s acting director of planning, assured residents that their concerns would be addressed in the city’s assessment of the childcare centre proposal. “The city acknowledges the importance of community views being represented in the decision-making process,” Free stated. He also noted that individual elected members may choose to represent community concerns at the DAP hearing.
As the city prepares its report, the mounting tension in Mt Pleasant underscores the urgent need for local voices to be heard. Community members are waiting anxiously to see if their council will advocate on their behalf, as the implications of this decision will significantly impact their neighborhood’s peace and safety.
Residents are encouraged to stay engaged as the decision approaches. The outcome of the DAP hearing on September 5 will be pivotal in determining the future of the proposed childcare centre and the welfare of the Mt Pleasant community.
