Concept designs revealed for proposed Katanning Early Childhood Hub

The long-awaited improvement to early childhood services in Katanning is a step closer to fruition after the Shire of Katanning released preliminary plans for the project this month. After more than five years of planning and delays, the concept design plans for the Katanning Early Childhood Hub were revealed in a community meeting at the council chambers on March 9. A childcare centre, community hub and family centre are set to be built on a vacant site on the corner of Daping and Bokarup streets with each building orientated north to make use of natural light and heating. Slavin Architects director Bill Coe told the meeting the childcare centre was divided into age groups in the preliminary plans. “You’ve got the babies on the western end and then you move to toddlers, one-to-two year olds, and then to kindy-aged, three and plus,” he said. “Likewise, the external play areas are programmed in the same way. You’ve got the baby playground and then as you move across to the east, the play equipment gets a bit larger and more challenging. Internal glass panels are also planned to be mirrored on one side, allowing parents to watch their children in activity centres without causing disturbances. The activity areas will be located on the north side of the building, while the sleeping areas are designed to be on the southern ends where there will be less natural light. The community hub is planned to primarily consist of office space for a local community service provider, though the exact layout of that building is yet to be finalised. The Katanning Child Health Office will relocate to the hub. The family centre is expected to consist of a central hall, which can hold events with up to 150 people with a secure playground located on the north-eastern side of the building and storage inside for local playgroups. All three buildings will be linked by undercover paths and be directly accessible using paths from the carpark. They will also have central entry points, with external doors minimised to prevent issues with access and vandalism. Katanning Shire president Liz Guidera told the meeting the family centre section of the hub was not currently funded but that money was being sought for construction. “We see it as key to future family and children’s services going forward, so we’re really keen to get this funded,” Ms Guidera said. “The real work of what we are trying to do with this project is change children’s lives.” There was “extensive” feedback on the designs with Ms Guidera leaving open the possibility of further consultations before moving to the final design process. “Once the changes are made it will be full steam ahead for the next stage,” she said. It is expected to take at least another two years for the project to be completed.