Swinburne and Stonnington agreement paves way for community childcare to continue

Swinburne University of Technology and City of Stonnington have signed the contract of sale for Swinburne’s Union Street property, paving the way for the site to continue supporting local children, families and the Windsor community.

The property is currently home to Windsor Community Children’s Centre, which operates a community-run long day care and kindergarten from the site.

Under the terms of the sale, City of Stonnington has committed to ensuring the property continues to be used for community childcare and kindergarten purposes, with a new five-year lease to be granted to the existing tenant from 1 January 2027.

Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Pascale Quester said the agreement showed how constructive collaboration could deliver a positive outcome for all. 

“This outcome supports the local community and allows us to reinvest in our core mission, delivering outstanding teaching, learning and student experiences across our campuses,” Professor Quester said.

“This is a strong example of what can be achieved when governments, councils, community advocates and institutions work together with a shared purpose.”

City of Stonnington Mayor, Cr Melina Sehr, said “we know how important this site is to our community, and the partnership with the Federal government has been crucial in enabling Council to secure the property and continue supporting this long-standing and much-loved service.”

The signing of the contract follows final State Government approval, which was required to sell the land for less than its market value. 

The $8.4 million offer was made possible by a $4.3 million Federal Government grant secured by the Member for Macnamara, Josh Burns MP and $4.1 million from the City of Stonnington.

Federal Member for Macnamara Josh Burns MP, said “this has been a hard-fought win for the Windsor Community Children’s Centre and all the families who depend upon it.”

“I’m proud to have stood with them throughout this journey, and I am even prouder that we have been able to deliver this outcome, together with Swinburne University and the City of Stonnington.”

The agreement follows sustained advocacy from Windsor Community Children’s Centre, local families, community stakeholders and local State and Federal Members of Parliament, who highlighted the importance of the site as a valued community asset.  

The City of Stonnington will continue to update the community on the progress of the lease with Windsor Community Children’s Centre.