Step 1: Questions for Developers and a Case Study

Developers: have you considered ECEC in your new mixed use development?

As yourself these questions?

Partnership opportunities

Have you engaged with local ECEC providers about potential partnerships? Could your target residents (hospital staff, university employees) benefit from on-site education and care?

Are there opportunities to partner with anchor tenants who need education and care services for their employees?

Market opportunity

Have you assessed local ECEC demand and waiting lists in your development area? Are there families with young children moving into or planned for your development?

What is the current supply of quality ECEC services within 5km of your site? Check list of ECEC providers and quality ratings in your area from ACECQA’s Starting Blocks. Would ECEC enhance the marketability of your residential or commercial components?

Site suitability

Do you have ground floor space suitable for ECEC?

Can you provide safe outdoor play areas away from vehicle traffic?

Is your site accessible to families (parking, public transport, pedestrian access)?

Financial viability

Could ECEC provide stable long-term rental income for your development?

Are there government grants or incentives available for including ECEC in regional developments?

Would ECEC reduce marketing/leasing timeframes for other components of your development?

Case Study: RDA Mid-North Coast

During September 2023, Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC) conducted two ECEC surveys across the region. The surveys were for ECEC providers and families. They also engaged an economist to verify their findings, consulted with key stakeholders and ran workshops to follow up.

The RDAMNC region consists of the following local government areas: Port Macquarie – Hastings, Coffs Harbour, Mid Coast, Bellingen, Nambucca, and Kempsey.

Survey Findings

From providers:

Only 52% of providers take children under the age of 1. This only increases to 58% once a child turns 1 and 79% when a child turns 2.
The average number of families on a wait list is 136 (noting this does exclude those who are on multiple lists).
25% of providers are operating under approved limits due to staff shortages.
33% of providers have had vacancies for over 12 months and have been unable to fill them.

Survey findings

From families:

92% of respondents had children under the age of 2 that require access to ECEC.
52% of respondents are not able to access any ECEC.
91% of respondents are on one or more waitlists.
Families are on an average of 4.7 wait lists.
85% of respondents are working less hours than they need or want to due to lack of access to ECEC. Analysis by the commissioned economist estimated that this could result in approximately $383 million a year in lost wages within the region alone.

To learn more about this case study view the RDAMNC website and the survey summary.

Please go to our next page: Step 2: Development of concept