Four daycare centres at the Australian National University are so riddled with toxic materials they cannot be made suitable for ongoing use as childcare centres if hail remediation is undertaken without ministerial intervention, the university has been told.
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"The heritage-listed cottages that house the current community childcare centres contain potentially unsafe materials including lead paint and asbestos," the university's interim chief operating officer Jonathan Churchill wrote in an email seen by The Canberra Times.
"It has become unsustainable for ANU to continue using them for childcare."
The university had spent almost $1 million on more than 240 repair jobs in the last year, he said.
But the parent community campaigning to save its beloved childcare centres has not given up, and plans to seek a second opinion on whether there is a way to progress remediation works needed to fix damage from the 2020 hailstorms.
The university handed a heritage expert report to operators on Wednesday after intervention by Minister for Women Katy Gallagher, outlining the problems that plague the heritage-listed buildings, built between the 1910s and 1940s.
![Hearts made by the community line the path to the ANU Heritage early childhood centre, which is one of four in danger of closing. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Hearts made by the community line the path to the ANU Heritage early childhood centre, which is one of four in danger of closing. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/234480217/3d4b2bc7-64a4-4b1b-8614-9af4a83b8559.jpg/r0_485_5200_3420_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The report said it was unlikely that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek would approve the works and applying "with no guarantee of success" would create "an operational risk to the ANU from the uncertainty of this process".
But, it said, if the ANU wanted to pursue this, the university should meet the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to seek advice.
The department has not heard from the university.
The ANU would also have to seek approval from the National Capital Authority, the report said, which requires the university to conserve the heritage values of its campus.
Parents are seeking access to documents detailing the full scope of works required.
Childcare use means low-heritage-impact remediation 'not suitable'
The report, prepared by GML Heritage in October, said the university had wanted to remediate the hailstorm damage, but it had become clear this would "significantly impact" their heritage values.
It said that, in order to make the buildings "fully compliant and suitable for childcare operations", the "complete removal of all hazardous materials" would be required.
"The level of remediation required for the buildings is due to their current use as childcare facilities," the report said.
"Due to the risks associated with children, safety measures which have less heritage impact such as partial remediation, encapsulation of hazardous materials or warnings are not suitable."
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Corridors and doorways would have to be widened and window heights lowered, with "the majority of the historic fabric being removed, and effectively causing complete demolition, or at very best partial demolition of the buildings."
The heritage consultant found this would have "an unacceptable, severe heritage impact on the heritage values, meaning that under the [Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation] Act the ANU must not undertake these works unless there are no alternatives".
![Katy Gallagher, David Pocock, Alicia Payne, and Yvette Berry in support of ANU childcare families and educators last week. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Katy Gallagher, David Pocock, Alicia Payne, and Yvette Berry in support of ANU childcare families and educators last week. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/234480217/02ca301a-ea77-483c-9700-95e6f8998b63.jpg/r0_532_5200_3467_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The centres that will be closed at the end of the year are Acton Early Childhood Centre, Cubby House on Campus, University Preschool and Child Care Centre and Heritage Early Childhood Centre.
The university is planning to open two new childcare centres in "purpose built" demountable-style buildings on campus in January.
These buildings are yet to receive approval by CECA, the ACT childcare regulator.
Providers will be selected through a competitive procurement process.