Cranbourne Preschooler Harry Spierings, Vicki Robertson, Gwenda and Brieanna Bischof and Julie and Luke Dietrich have no plans to relocate the preschool despite the centre’s car parking nightmare.By Alison Noonan
A CASEY councillor’s proposal to relocate Cranbourne Preschool has angered staff and parents.
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler told a recent council meeting that the South Gippsland Highway preschool would be better off finding a new home following news that council would not seal its gravel car park.
Cr Butler had called for council officers to look into asphalting the parking space after pre school staff complained it had reached capacity and was causing a traffic nightmare for parents.
But officers said that sealing the car park would actually reduce the number of parking spaces and recommended it not go ahead with the works.
“They (the preschool) have nowhere near the amount of car parking they need,” Cr Butler said.
“Council needs to bite the bullet and realise that the preschool is not located where it should be.
“I feel that this is what we are looking down the barrel at and we need to look at setting aside a suitable location. ”
However preschool administration officer Debbie Forbes said relocating was the last thing the school community had in mind.
She said the preschool committee had made a simple request for improved parking at the 40-year-old centre but had no plans to move.
“We didn’t ask to move and we certainly don’t want to move.
“All we wanted was for council to tar seal the car park and paint lines so that people park correctly,” she said.
Ms Forbes said a sealed car park would go a long way to alleviate the parking troubles at the busy preschool, which sees up to 27 families fighting for a park at any one time.
She said staff and parents were forced to battle for free spaces with visitors to neighbouring Southern Health, worsened by the introduction of permit spaces at the Cranbourne Information and Support Service.
“The car park is for angled parking but drivers often parallel park, taking up three spots instead of one.
“And they stay there all day.
“It has reduced our parking and made finding a free space almost impossible,” she said.
Ms Forbes said parents loved the preschool’s current location for its convenience and proximity to the Cranbourne Town Centre.
She said a move would disadvantage families in the farming areas of Devon Meadows and Clyde and nearby housing estates such as Brookland Greens.
“It is so convenient where it is. It’s right in the centre of Cranbourne and so easy for the parents coming in off the farms to drop the kids off, do their shopping and errands and get the kids on the way back.
“Our enrolment numbers have gone up for next year and we have a great reputation so we definitely don’t want to move,” she said.
However, Cr Butler said a move would bring long-term benefits to the preschool and create extra car parks for the surrounding health care services.
“Council has said it just cannot create any more car parks at the centre.
“Parking is already overflowing and it’s time they started thinking about moving,” he said.
He said a report would come back to a future council meeting identifying vacant sites for a possible relocation.
However Ms Forbes said the preschool would challenge any suggestion to move.
“We will fight if they tell us we should be moved,” she said.
