The following residents of the ACT draw the attention of the Assembly to the imminent closure of a vital not-for-profit long-day childcare centre in Belconnen – SDN Bluebell, 44 College Street, Belconnen.
For nearly three decades, Bluebell has been a pillar of the Belconnen community, providing exceptional early education and care for over 60 children each year. Its closure in December 2025 will cause a devastating loss for local families, children, and staff unless new premises can urgently be secured. Despite SDN’s extensive efforts to relocate, barriers such as high rental costs, limited availability of suitable sites (requiring space for 60–90 children), planning approvals, and CECA restrictions have left the centre without options. Without immediate government action, families will lose access to quality not-for-profit early learning, and the Belconnen community will lose a trusted and established service.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call on the ACT Government to take urgent action by:
• Exploring lease options for underutilised government-owned properties (such as the old Cook Primary School or similar) that could be repurposed for not-for-profit early learning services.
• Reviewing the CECA decision that is preventing the use of a prospective site in Westfield Belconnen.
• Strengthening planning rules to ensure not-for-profit providers can access premises for early childhood education. This includes requiring large developments to provide early learning facilities as part of their Crown Lease, reserving government/community sites for not-for-profit services so they can remain competitive against the for-profit sector, and consideration for reduced rates for commercial properties leased to not-for-profits
• Condition Development Application (DA) 202543884 to include provisions that the demolition of SDN Bluebell cannot occur until a Crown Lease variation has been approved to remove its primary use as a childcare.