More help for Community Pre-school

There was good news for the Armidale Community Pre-School (ACP) this week with NSW Planning Minister Keneally waiving planning reform fees for its new building in Allingham St.

Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay welcomed the announcement as a boost for the beleaguered pre-school which has been on the move since a fire gutted its headquarters in September last year.

He said he had asked the government to make the concession because the preschool was a non-profit organization providing a valuable service to the community.
“Armidale Dumaresq Council has already waived its development application fees of over $2,500 to help the pre-school get back in its feet and it’s good to see the government matching that offer,” the MP said.
“There’s no doubt the pre-school staff and parents have shown extraordinary resilience in keeping operations going since the fire.
“The fire razed the building on Thursday morning and by the following Monday the 85 children and seven staff had moved into the TAFE childcare centre. They have not missed a day since but are looking forward to having a permanent home again later in the year.”
ACP Authorised Supervisor Janet Paterson said the pre-school’s community had their eyes on September 18, the anniversary of the fire, to move into their new building.
“It might be overly optimistic but we have been assured that the building will be completed by October,” she said. “You never know, they might just make it by the anniversary.”
Ms Paterson said staff, parents and the Armidale community had been “fantastically supportive” raising more than $20,000 for equipment for the new building through a fundraiser in December and many other donations.
“I have to take my hat off to our staff, parents and the kids,” Ms Paterson said. “They’ve adapted to all the changes of venue from TAFE last year and a few weeks this year and now the PCYC basketball stadium.
“But the end is in sight with start of work on the new building and we can’t wait to move in.”