Local families will benefit from enhanced childcare and kindergarten services under new long-term lease agreements to be offered to the existing tenants of the Beechworth Childcare and Kindergarten Centre at Mayday Hills.
The decision to approve separate five-year lease agreements with Beechworth Community Early Years Learning Centre and Beechworth Kindergarten, was made following successful mediation between the two operators.
Earlier this month, Council voted to terminate the Expression of Interest (EOI) process for the Mayday Hills Beechworth Childcare and Kindergarten Centre and work directly with the current operators to secure the future of these services in Beechworth.
Mayor Sophie Price says Council welcomes the collaborative approach that has led to this outcome. "We're delighted that through mediation, both operators have agreed to work together to continue providing quality childcare and kindergarten services to our community."
The new lease arrangements, commencing 1 January 2026, will enable both providers to maximise use of the existing facility to meet current and future demand for childcare and kindergarten services. Each organisation will occupy separate parts of the Mayday Hills site under individual five-year leases, with an option for a further four-year extension.
"Our priority has always been to maximise the use of the existing facility to meet demand for childcare and kindergarten services," Cr Price says. "These new lease arrangements align with Council's original intent, via an expression of interest process, to ensure Beechworth families continue to have access to a broad range of quality childcare and kindergarten services."
"We stand firmly behind the integrity of the EOI, which was a comprehensive and transparent process that aligned with our established practices and governance requirements. The EOI process was designed to identify a single provider to maximise use of the facility. When circumstances beyond Council's control led to the preferred provider's withdrawal, mediation has enabled us to achieve a suitable outcome through partnership between the existing providers."
Under the new lease agreements, both providers will be required to develop annual plans demonstrating community engagement and efforts to maximise facility use and reduce waitlists. They will also provide annual reports to Council showing progress against these commitments.
Council's CEO will now work with both organisations to finalise lease documentation, with services continuing uninterrupted during the transition period.
"This decision provides the certainty that our community has been seeking while ensuring Beechworth continues to have access to quality childcare and kindergarten services well into the future," Cr Price says.
