Question - Lawson

1. Did a community facilities and recreational requirements study, conducted by Maunsell AECOM & Purdon Associates, indicate a need for preschool and childcare facilities to be located in Lawson south, as other nearby centres are at capacity; if so, are there any plans to build a preschool or childcare facilities in south Lawson.
2. If there are plans to build a preschool or childcare facilities in south Lawson, is there an estimated timeframe on when construction will be complete and when the school will open.
3. Would any proposed childcare centre be co-located with any preschools or health clinics.
4. Where would new preschool and childcare facilities be located.
5. How many children would these facilities accommodate.
6. What plans are in place to help surrounding schools manage an increase in students coming from Lawson, especially in the case of infants and toddlers.
7. Are there any formal projections on the number of enrolments to schools, due to the increase of people living in Lawson, in the surrounding suburbs of Kaleen, Giralang and McKellar; if so, can the Minister provide those formal projections.

(1) The Lawson South community facilities and recreation requirements study (Maunsell AECOM & Purdon Associates, 2008) identified that existing childcare centres and preschools in the wider area were either nearing or at capacity and, based on a series of assumptions, suggested that a childcare and preschool be provided in Lawson South. This was a point in time assessment. 

Currently, the Education Directorate has no plans to build a preschool or Early Childhood Education and Care facility in Lawson South.

The Territory Plan permits childcare centres within certain land use zones. A future developer, subject to the market and approval, may choose to include a privately operated preschool or Early Childhood Education and Care facility in their development.

(2) See above.

(3) See above. 

(4) See above. 

(5) See above.

(6) The Education Directorate continually monitors population and enrolment projections as well as enrolments at ACT public schools to ensure there are sufficient places to meet anticipated growth from new and existing suburbs. This includes ensuring available capacity for students to enrol in preschool and to guarantee places available at their Priority Enrolment Area school from Kindergarten.

(7) The latest ACT Population Projections released by the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate in 2023 provide detailed population growth forecasts covering the period 2022 to 2060 for each suburb in the ACT. The Population Projections include the currently projected anticipated changes in school age populations by single age in the mentioned suburbs. The data was released in 2023 and is available for the period 2022-2026 at the following link: https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/snapshot/demography/act

It is important to note that population projections are subject to change due to unknown variables and future policy change. This includes fertility rates, land and residential development and migration policy.