Community not happy over location of proposed preschool

The Peninsula community is calling for more consultation on the proposed location of a new free preschool in the grounds of Umina Beach Public School.

An announcement was made on April 11 that the preschool would have a capacity for 120 places, with room to expand, but the school community was quick to express its concerns.

Residents took to social media and wrote to elected officials, Federal election candidates, government representatives and the NSW School Infrastructure Department regarding the proposed location.

“While the dominant sentiment was positive toward the concept of a government-funded onsite preschool, there were strong calls for community consultation,” spokesperson Ivona Rose said.

“Concerns were raised about the loss of green space for Kindergarten to Year 2 students starting their primary school journey.

“Issues around tree removal, construction impacts, and legislation related to the additional carpark were also flagged.

“An alternative on-site location has been proposed.”

Federal Member for Robertson Dr Gordon Reid, and State Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch made representations on behalf of the community to State Education Minister Prue Car and Tesch met with parents and key members of the Umina Beach Public School P&C Association on-site to hear directly from the community about their concerns.

Umina Beach P&C Association hosted a meeting at Club Umina on April 29, inviting all community members to attend, with submissions accepted until May 2.

On April 30, Tesch met with decision-makers in the Department of Education and voiced the community’s concerns, informing the community that the department would consider the feedback and explore options for resolution.

“Following this, the Department has committed to engaging with the community regarding the future plans for the preschool location within the Umina Beach Public School grounds,” she said via email and Facebook.

“The community now awaits a response from government representatives and a pathway for genuine consultation, aiming to secure a positive outcome for current and future students,” Rose said.