Negotiations initiated by Hay Shire Council are continuing with Homes NSW and NSW Police in a bid to improve childcare availability in the community.

Hay has one early childcare provider, Hay Children’s Services (HCS), with space for 24 children/day.

There is a current wait list of over 90 spaces, with HCS unable to provide additional spaces due to their floor space restrictions.

“This is having a significant impact on the town’s workforce availability,” Council’s General Manager, David Webb said.

“The RDA ‘Childcare in the Riverina Preliminary Report’ evidences the current shortfall of spaces in Hay, demonstrating Hay has one of lowest ratios of places to children in the region.

“The potential relocation to the NPWS building has not come to fruition with National Parks wishing to retain the building for its own use.”

To expand the current footprint of the early childcare provider, Council staff have proposed re-purposing the Council-owned house at 342 Church Street and re-purposing the NSW Police-owned house at 236 Coke Street.

Council owns the building in which the childcare is currently housed at 344 Church Street.

The Council-owned house at 342 Church Street is expected to be made available to HCS by the end of the year when the current tenant, the pool contractor, vacates the property.

“However, additional space will be required to meet even the current childcare demand,” Mr Webb said.

“Homes NSW manages the NSW Police housing portfolio in Hay.

“There are currently six NSW Police Houses in Hay in total with five currently occupied.

“NSW Police also have a dual occupancy development approved by Council in Meakes Street. This would bring their total portfolio to eight, meeting their demand data/research for Hay requiring an additional two new homes.

“One of the houses owned is at 236 Coke Street, which is adjacent to the existing Childcare facility.

“Staff initiated discussions with Homes NSW about the potential to swap 236 Coke Street for another dwelling, either within the Bishop’s Lodge Development or an existing Council owned building.

“Due to strict housing requirements on Police housing, the Bishop’s Lodge development was deemed out of scope.

“However, Homes NSW confirmed following a briefing to NSW Police they are in principle supportive of Council’s plan to expand the childcare as long as we can replace or swap the property like for like.”

The proposal and likely scenario would be to transfer 236 Coke Street for one of two Council-owned residences in Murray Street with that tenant.

Council would ‘lease’ the Murray Street property from Homes NSW until Bishop’s Lodge development is complete, at which time the current tenants could move to one of the new Council houses.

Mr Webb said this would ensure least disruption for current tenants.

In addition, the police tenant at 236 Coke Street could be temporarily tenanted in a vacant teacher house until such time as Meakes Street development was completed.

“This detail is yet to be confirmed by Homes NSW along with timing of any transfer of properties,” Mr Webb said.

“This would allow for the inclusion of 236 Coke Street into the expanded Childcare footprint.”

Mr Webb said the Hay LGA has been fortunate to have been included in the announcement of $4.39m in funding for childcare for Hay, Carrathool and Warrumbungle.

The funding is for infrastructure, workforce and service improvements and is only for existing Childcare.

HCS is preparing an application for the repurposing of 342 Church Street property among other initiatives for service enhancements.

This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 5 November 2025.