Relief for parents is on the way

The strained childcare services in Tom Price are a step closer to being eased after the Shire of Ashburton awarded a $4 million contract for the construction of the long-awaited facility.

The $4,198,514.80 contract for the design and construction was given to building company Pindan at a special council meeting last month.

Construction on the 96-space centre is expected to begin in April and is projected to be open in late 2022, providing both day care and after-school care facilities.

Plans for a new purpose-built facility were announced last January, with Rio Tinto announcing its commitment to fund the construction of a centre as part of its Community Infrastructure and Services Partnership with the Shire.

Shire president Kerry White said she was excited the project was continuing to move forward and was confident the Tom Price Childcare Centre would be available to families from early 2022.

“Pindan have extensive building experience in design, construction and building and also understand our unique Pilbara environment and harsh climate” she said.

The Tom Price Childcare Centre is being delivered to the community by the Shire of Ashburton in partnership with Rio Tinto.