Childcare centre defends 'dangerous' work

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A childcare centre shut for exposing children to building work says it employed extra staff to keep the kids safe.

Capital Kids Cooperative in Hugh St, Newtown, was temporarily shut by the Education Ministry on Friday.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said building inspectors judged it a dangerous environment.

Power cords, tools and building materials were left leaning on areas accessible to children or on handbasins during construction work.

Builders carrying building materials used the same entrance as children who were wandering in and out of the centre.

The inspectors found the situation "hair-raising" and quickly closed the building site, Mr MacLean said. "When the inspectors visited they just went, `No, this is not acceptable, stop work."'

The 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 construction work.

Capital Kids committee spokesman Jonathan Pereira said extra staff had been employed to watch the children and manage the risk during the building work. "We didn't perceive there to be any actual risk."

Mr Pereira, whose two-year-old daughter attends the centre, said the "hair-raising" comment was overly dramatic, but he accepted there had been an oversight.

The centre now had a separate entrance for workers and planned to provide portable toilets to address council concerns. It was hoped the centre would reopen tomorrow with the correct paperwork.

It was expected to take about another month for the building work to be completed, with a new office, bathrooms and a hallway being renovated.

- © Fairfax NZ News