“Sydney has become extremely difficult to exist in with the prices of houses, people Airbnb-ing their properties and moving out of the city … you lose that sense of family, community, and it’s becoming more of a dead zone.”
According to the City of Sydney, the childcare centre is on the site of the city’s first public playground, constructed when Millers Point was redeveloped following the bubonic plague in 1901. The childcare building followed in 1912.
The public housing sell-off at Millers Point, the small suburb wedged between Circular Quay and Barangaroo, finished in 2018 and has turned many properties from working-class family homes into short-term rental accommodation, locals say.
In the latest census, one in every three homes were empty, and locals anecdotally report streets where more than half of properties are listed on short-term rental platforms.
Education Department data shows that this year 292 students were enrolled in the local Fort Street Public School, which has a capacity of 550.
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It’s not just demographic changes threatening inner-city childcare centres. Working from home arrangements mean city workers are less likely to enrol children in centres near the office, benefiting suburban providers.
“Unfortunately, in some cases, the consequences are that services are no longer viable. This can be difficult for families who are displaced from services where they have established strong relationships with educators,” Australian Childcare Alliance president Paul Mondo said.
KU chief executive Christine Legg said there was an oversupply of childcare centres in the city for current demand, describing seven centres in a one-kilometre radius with three experiencing vacancies.
A City of Sydney spokesperson said potential future use of the Millers Point site was under review.
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