Jamberoo Community Preschool director Belinda Hibbert is looking for government support to ensure the preschool continues to support the community. Photo: Supplied.
Jamberoo Community Preschool is battling both regular floodwaters and a looming deadline, with its lease set to expire in 2028 and no concrete relocation plans in place — putting a vital community service at risk.
Kiama’s Deputy Mayor Melissa Matters has called for urgent government intervention, as families fear losing a preschool that’s been at the heart of Jamberoo for 35 years.
The provision of funding for the preschool is listed as a top priority in Kiama Municipal Council’s Draft Delivery and Operational Plan, which is on public exhibition.
Preschool director Belinda Hibbert said the community-based not-for-profit preschool started as a mobile preschool service in 1989, before leasing its current premises from council in Allowrie Street 18 years ago.
Today it looks after 76 three- to five-year-olds across the week but has a waitlist of 150 children due to being the only preschool in a growing area.
“The flooding started not long after we set up here,” she said.
“I’ve been here for six years and in that time I’ve had four big floods.
“In 2020 we actually had to apply for another licence to run out of the [Jamberoo] School of Arts while this building was being fixed up.”
She said that particular clean-up took a term to complete, with the floods having pushed its insurance excess to $30,000.
“For a not-for-profit preschool, that’s just way too much money for us, so the last couple of floods we haven’t actually done insurance claims,” she said.
“We just got by and the community has come together amazingly and fundraised for us.”
She said they had become better at planning for floods now, with much of its furniture on wheels, and carpets and soft furnishings raised off the ground when needed.
“We’re getting very well rehearsed in being ready for it, but it still does catch us off guard sometimes,” she said.
Belinda said heavy rainfall came down from the hill to the front of the building and, once it hit the preschool drain, it “just explodes like a blowhole”.
She said at the side of the building water could reach waist deep, while inside it was often ankle deep.
With the lease ending in June 2028, she was working with a developer on securing a land donation but needed funds to then build.
Belinda has spoken to all levels of government but so far received no help.
“I really need the governments to come together and help us find some money to build a preschool,” she said.
“Whilst council have been amazingly supportive and are going to help us until we find somewhere, we need a plan.
“I hate to think what would happen if we lost this preschool.”
She said not continuing would be devastating for families, with widespread childcare shortages and parents potentially losing access to the Start Strong fee relief funding, which provides eligible children at certain preschools up to two days of free care a week.
“It would be a great loss if we lost this preschool,” she said.
“We’ve got parents coming back who went to the mobile preschool … because they value what we have here.”
One such parent and preschool management committee board member is Sarah Lafrance, who attended when it was a mobile preschool in the early 90s and since has had four children attend.
“It’s a really important part of the Jamberoo community and has been for a long time,” Sarah said.
“It’s worrying to think Jamberoo Community Preschool could potentially not be here if we don’t get the support we need to relocate.
“My three boys, over the six years they were here, it flooded every single year at least once.”
She said while she had family support when the preschool wasn’t open, that wasn’t the case for everyone.
“Not-for-profit organisations are integral to little communities like this and we can’t lose it,” she said.
In issuing a call for the State and Federal governments to stop ignoring the pressing needs of the community, Cr Matters said “Kiama is a childcare desert”.
“Families face waitlists stretching months just to access care,” Cr Matters said.
“And yet, here in Jamberoo, our local preschool sits on a floodplain, vulnerable every time it rains, without the funding it needs for a new facility.”
Despite years of advocacy, reports, and meetings, the response from higher levels of government has been silence.
“This isn’t just an education issue – it’s a safety issue. A workforce issue. An equality issue. And it’s not acceptable,” she said.
However, preschool isn’t the only area where she believes it’s been left to carry the burden alone.
Jamberoo Mountain Road, used daily by residents, tourists, and emergency services, has once again been closed for major repairs.
Cr Matters said council had been forced to rebuild to outdated standards due to state and federal funding limitations.
“We are doing the heavy lifting – again – repairing a road built in the 1800s, to the same 1800s standard, because that’s what the rules say,” Cr Matters said.
Council is calling on the NSW Government to take over responsibility for the road, and for State and Federal governments to fund a proper rebuild before another landslip or tragedy occurs.
View the Draft Delivery and Operational Plan on council’s website.
