The Shire of Augusta Margaret River confirmed on Tuesday that the Kids Club at the Margaret River Recreation Centre would be relocated with the impending demolition works at the Cultural Centre precinct.

The advice came after several parents of children attending schools close to the redevelopment site aired their concerns over the works to remove asbestos at the site given the proximity to community facilities and education campuses.

In a statement from the Shire, Recreation Services Manager Dylan Brown said while the centre remained safe for use during works, construction works would spill onto one of the basketball courts.

“Our primary focus is to ensure the safety of children in Kids Club during construction works, which has resulted in the closure of the basketball court to the rear of the centre,” he said.

“Our secondary focus is to ensure a continuity of care for all families who use our service, by moving to a location that provide for a license capacity for all children currently enrolled.”

The relocation will extend for up to a four weeks from Monday 14 May 2018, with before school care moved to the Margaret River Youth Precinct Zone Room and after school care hosted at the Margaret River Primary School.

“While this will cause a minor interruption to pick up and drop off routines, we feel these arrangements best provide for local families,” said Mr Brown.

Our primary focus is to ensure the safety of children in Kids Club during construction works, which has resulted in the closure of the basketball court to the rear of the centre.

Dylan Brown, Recreation Services Manager

Remaining recreation centre services including the creche would continue as normal and Mr Brown encouraged the community to contact the centre with any questions about the services or the Kids Club.

“We really expect service interruptions to be very minor over the course of the project but please feel free to enquire if you have any specific questions or concerns,” he said.

Meanwhile parents in the region have voiced their interest in the asbestos removal processes taking place at the site, noting the proximity to both sporting ovals and schools surrounding the construction area.

“Lets hope they take extra precautions with that asbestos removal due to the close proximity to schools and ovals,” said Jade Mulik.

“This is serious, our kids are at risk of exposure. Lets hope the council acknowledges this and ensures that every precaution under the sun is taken, including working to the weather conditions and not working on windy days when the deadly fibers can spread in the wind on the ovals that our children play on.”

The Shire did not respond to questions regarding the removal process at the Cultural Centre site.

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Margaret River Mail

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