Air-conditioning will be installed at a Berwick preschool after parents raised concerns that the heat inside the centre could trigger health problems. Left to right, councillor Lorraine Wreford, students Phoebe and Isabella, president of Gwendoline Children’s Centre Becky Nelson, and Grace.By Rebecca Fraser
A BERWICK preschool will receive air-conditioning following claims by parents that the heat is ‘stifling’ their children.
The complaints emerged last June when committee members and parents at the Gwendoline Drive Children’s Centre raised concerns with Casey Council about temperatures inside the preschool.
In December, former committee president Natalie Morris contacted the News and said heat, glare and airflow was a major issue, and the situation posed an occupational safety issue and could trigger health problems.
Following these concerns, a council report was conducted to investigate the matter and evaluate temperatures inside the centre.
Council officers recommended that more ceiling fans be installed inside the preschool.
There is air-conditioning at both ends of the preschool — in the maternal and child health centre at one end and a playgroup at the other.
At a recent meeting, councillor Lorraine Wreford questioned the recommendation and called on council to install air-conditioning.
“Why is the preschool not air-conditioned?
“There is air-conditioning at either ends but why is there none in the middle? It does not make any sense to me.
“We have a duty of care to the children and our workers,” Cr Wreford said.
Casey director community services Jennie Lee said council used air-conditioning in the maternal health centre because there are very young babies in the area.
But she said they did not encourage air-conditioning at preschools because children were ‘in and out’ of the building all the time.
Ms Lee said council preschools were meeting standards set out by the Government and the Department of Human Services and she was very confident that they were running to a high standard and meeting all regulations.
Cr Wreford successfully moved that council allocate $10,000 from the Cell T development fund, if it was available, to install air-conditioning at Gwendoline’s Children’s Centre.
Since then, council has discovered that there is only $5000 in the development fund.
Councillors Lorraine Wreford and Michael Farley have donated $2500 each from their ward funds to have the evaporative cooling installed.
The president of the centre and mother-of-two, Becky Nelson, said ceiling fans were not what the centre wanted.
“It is stifling. With windows open and fans going it would still be too hot.
“My main concern is that the kids are not getting the most out of their kinder sessions because they are tired or moody and hot and bothered.
“They are not going to want to participate if they are feeling like that.
“Council policy needs to change and council needs to bite the bullet and put air-conditioning in,” she said.
Cr Farley said he was glad that the issue had been resolved, as the parents he had spoken to were very concerned about the humidity inside the centre.
