Council officers have recommended using Coventry Children’s Centre as a temporary decant site during the redevelopment of Clarendon Children’s Centre in 2027 and Lilian Cannam Kindergarten in 2028. The proposal will go to council for a final decision on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
The redevelopments are part of a $37 million Children’s Infrastructure Program partnership with the Victorian Government. Coventry is already council-owned, licensed and compliant with contemporary regulatory standards, but the proposal has faced community opposition because of its direct impact on families currently using the centre.
Council surveyed Coventry families to quantify their concerns. Officers reported that most families could be accommodated at Coventry, with Clarendon Children’s Centre providing up to 20 additional places. Any remaining demand would be accommodated at the nearby Clark Street Children’s Centre.
To prevent families from being financially disadvantaged, council has proposed a support package including a dedicated Child Care Transition Officer, a 15 per cent fee reduction for families moving to other council-operated services for 12 months, and fee-matching subsidies for those moving to eligible private or community-managed services.
Alternative sites, including the former Evoke and Busy Bees childcare centres, were investigated but not recommended. Officers deemed Evoke unsuitable because of serious child-safety, supervision and accessibility risks. Busy Bees was physically suitable but ruled out because leasing and building-readiness costs would total about $1.77 million over two years, with substantial risks of project delays.
If council endorses the proposal, Coventry Children’s Centre will reopen as a council-operated service after the redevelopment works are completed in 2029.
Editorial
Coventry’s last stand should never have been necessary
On Wednesday, Coventry Children’s Centre parents will make a passionate final appeal to council to save their treasured centre.
They’ll bring the kids. They’ll tell councillors how much they love their educators and centre. They’ll describe the stress and uncertainty dropped on them without warning.
They will be told they need to take a hit for the team — a team they did not know they were part of. Until a month ago, Coventry was not part of the Early Years redevelopment. It is not one of the six centres benefiting from council and Victorian Government largesse.
The early years program was never meant to include Coventry Children’s Centre, yet Coventry’s children, staff and community are being sacrificed in the name of the “greater good”.
Despite having ample time to plan alternatives, council has chosen to disrupt both the Coventry and North St Kilda childcare services, forcing children, staff and parents to reorganise their lives. Its plan is to decant children from generously funded, community-run redevelopments by moving those enrolled in council services around like pawns.
As one Coventry parent rightly pointed out, “It’s crazy. It’s like asking your neighbours to move out to make way for your family as you renovate.”
That is not a wild comparison; it is the reality. Coventry is being treated as temporary accommodation for two other centres while they undergo renovations over the next two years.
Meanwhile, Coventry’s children, staff and parents would be forced to relocate or move into the Clarendon Street program operating from the Coventry building, breaking up an existing highly rated centre and its close-knit community.
To anyone asking, “What’s the big deal?”, try asking your neighbours to move into temporary housing so you can renovate your home. When they return, their house will be the same but older, while yours will be fully renovated. It would be an interesting conversation.
This raises the ultimate questions: Who managed this fiasco? What on earth were they thinking? Why did they wait until the eleventh hour to investigate alternatives?
The damage goes far beyond Coventry. Every child, parent and staff member in council-run childcare now has reason to feel less secure. Despite words to the contrary, council has made one thing abundantly clear: it regards these families as second-class.
Media Response – to be attributed to City of Port Phillip Acting General Manager Community Wellbeing Brian Tee
Q. Regarding Coventry Children’s Centre: given that the Early Years Plan is now several years old, when did Council begin considering the need to temporarily relocate community childcare?
‘The need for temporary relocation was first identified through the development of Council’s Early Years Infrastructure Plan, which recognised that the Clarendon Children’s Centre building would require major renewal works during the life of the plan. As planning for the project has progressed, Council has undertaken more detailed assessment of the building, service requirements and potential relocation pathways to ensure continuity of early years services during construction.’
Q. How has Council applied lessons from the relocation of the St Kilda/Elwood area program?
‘Council has drawn on experience from previous service relocations, including the St Kilda/Elwood area program, to inform planning for the Clarendon Children’s Centre relocation. Key lessons include the importance of providing families with early and clear information, engaging directly with families about their individual needs, carefully managing transition arrangements, and ensuring that alternative service options are assessed against accessibility, continuity of care and operational requirements. These learnings have informed Council’s current planning and engagement approach, including detailed analysis of family preferences, service demand and relocation options.’
Q. If Coventry Children’s Centre is relocated, what arrangements will be made to minimise disruption and ensure families using Council-run childcare are treated equitably?
‘The proposal being considered by Council is for use of Coventry Children’s Centre from 2027 as the decanting site for South Melbourne community-managed centres while their facilities are redeveloped. Council’s priority will be to maintain continuity of care for enrolled children while minimising disruption for families. Council has undertaken a detailed survey of Coventry Children’s Centre families to better understand care requirements, preferred locations and service needs. This information is being used to inform relocation planning and capacity assessments.’
