Wellington childcare centre temporarily shut down

Relevant offers

Education

Woman found unconscious at university Ngaio quake-prone classrooms closed Call for curbs on school exclusions $51 million university hall in hot demand Pub owners give up, open kindergarten Sex attacks turn eye on school bullying Associate head quits after response criticised Wellington schools feel pressure as rolls swell Principal resigns over national standards Mum cops $200 fine for truant daughter

A Wellington childcare centre has been temporarily shut down because of a "hair-raising" situation where children and builders were sharing the site during construction work.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the council had recommended the closure of Capital Kids Co-operative in Hugh Street, Newtown, last week because of the dangerous environment.

It had been operating illegally while the construction work - believed to be minor - was carried out, Mr MacLean said. It was closed by the Education Ministry on Friday.

"From our inspector's point of view... it was hair-raising in some respects," Mr MacLean said.

"They were trying to run the childcare centre and do building work at the same time and when our inspectors turned up on Thursday, they just went 'hang on a minute here, this is just dangerous'."

Mr MacLean said there was building material resting on hand basins which kids were still using, power tools on site and builders were carrying materials through the same entrances that children were using.

"It was just like a construction site with kids wandering around which, by any stretch of the imagination, is probably not a very good thing."

Mr MacLean said the childcare centre - which is licensed to care for 29 children from babies up to five-year-olds - did not have the required paperwork for it to remain open during the construction work.

The council was working with the builders and representatives of the child care centre. It is believed it will be allowed to reopen if it can prove that work can continue in a safe manner.

Capital Kids spokesman Jonathan Pereira said the lack of the correct paperwork was an "oversight".

"Obviously we thought, by the fact that we had commenced work, that we had everything we needed," he said.

Mr Pereira said they felt they were managing the risks appropriately and that had "endeavoured to deal with that risk as we thought we were required to."

They had now designated a separate entrance for workers and were sourcing port-a-loos in a bid to address the councils main concerns.

"We have now done all the things we believe are required," he said.

They hoped to be back up and running by Wednesday.

- © Fairfax NZ News