A 75-year-old community kindergarten is appealing directly to the Education Minister to allow it to temporarily relocate after devastating flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred damaged its building and gardens.
On March 9, 750mm of stormwater inundated the Nambour Community Kindergarten building on James Street, destroying contents and damaging internal walls. The centre was forced to close for five weeks, with operations temporarily moved to The Range Community Kindy in Mapleton on alternate days.
For the past six months, the kindergarten committee has been negotiating with local, state and federal agencies to find a safe, long-term solution.
Rebuilding at the James Street site is no longer financially viable due to increased flood risk, prompting the committee to request relocation to a vacant building at Nambour State College – a plan the kindergarten says is supported by the school community and administration.
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The Department of Education has not approved the relocation, and a spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News: “The Nambour State College site currently lacks the necessary infrastructure designation to operate a kindergarten from 2026.
“Significant investment is required to address infrastructure needs, including adequate road access and car parking, before any application to amend the school’s title can be submitted.”
A change.org petition calling on the Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek to endorse the relocation plan is circulating online, with more than 700 signatures so far, as the Nambour community rallies to protect the decades-old institution.
The kindergarten echoed its plea on Facebook, stating: “We are appealing to the Minister to support that a not-for-profit community kindergarten impacted by a natural disaster should be afforded the opportunity to move into a community-supported under-utilised government building at Nambour State College … The community of Nambour deserves better than this.”
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The kindergarten’s committee said “this is not just about rebuilding a facility”.
“It’s about preserving a 75-year legacy of community-led early education and ensuring our children have a safe, stable and nurturing place to learn,” it said.
The department said it was “committed to ensuring that all eligible kindy-aged children have access to a free kindy program in the year before school, even during times of natural disaster”.
“After the 2025 event, all children from Nambour Community Kindergarten were helped to access a kindy program. The same support will be provided for eligible children in 2026. This may involve attending an existing kindy, and if needed, the department will work with kindies to make the appropriate arrangements,” a spokesperson said.
“The department is aware of available kindy places in both long day care centres and community kindergartens in the area, and is working closely with Lady Gowrie (a not-for-profit organisation that provides early childhood education and care services) to find a solution that meets the needs of all stakeholders.”
