For almost four decades, Kelly’s Place has provided safe, high quality, community-run care to local families, yet it will close in December 2026 to make way for the Hume Street Park expansion.
Kelly’s Place Children’s Centre is calling on the NSW Government and North Sydney Council to incorporate their centre into the Hume Street Park expansion, rather than demolish it and remove a proven community service that cannot survive without government support.
Kelly’s Place believes there’s a practical alternative that would retain the existing centre – including its grass-covered rooftop, which already provides usable green open space – while still delivering upgrades to the surrounding site.
“This proposal offers a more balanced and cost-effective outcome, protecting both much-needed public open space and a long-standing, high-quality childcare service relied on by local families,” they say.
Operating in Crows Nest since 1988, Kelly’s Place has built a strong reputation for delivering safe, high-quality childcare for hundreds of families and holds an “Exceeding” rating in the National Quality Standard.
The not-for-profit centre is shaped by a parent management committee, run for community benefit and focused on quality care and education rather than shareholder returns.
Katie Newton, Director of Kelly’s Place Children’s Centre for the last 16 years, said: “This closure would have a devastating impact for the children and families who depend on this service every day, as well as on the dedicated educators who have committed so much to this community. Kelly’s Place is more than just a childcare service – it is a vital part of the local community and now that’s potentially being taken away, not because it isn’t working, but to replace it with something that largely already exists.
“We’re not asking for the park upgrade to stop. We’re simply asking to be part of the solution – so families don’t lose a service they depend on every single day.”
The Proposal
North Sydney Council has acknowledged in its own strategies the need to increase childcare places to support population growth, committing to deliver an additional 66 places. Despite this, North Sydney Council and the NSW Government are proceeding with plans to close Kelly’s Place in December 2026 to make way for the park development, with no funding or viable plan to relocate the service.
The current proposal would demolish the childcare centre as part of an almost $10 million taxpayer‑funded redevelopment of Hume Street Park, intended to create additional public space. However, due to the unique design of Kelly’s Place grass‑covered rooftop – much of the proposed redevelopment site, including the grass‑covered rooftop, already functions as usable open public space.
Community support for keeping Kelly’s Place open has been overwhelming, with more than 3,000 people signing a petition supporting the centre, while more than 130 residents attended a North Sydney Council meeting in March 2026 in support of Kelly’s Place and its future.
““We’re ready to work with the NSW Government and North Sydney Council to find a solution that protects both green space and the childcare families rely on,” says Katie. “Kelly’s Place plays an essential role in the lives of local families, and we will continue to advocate strongly for its future.”
“Located within a rapidly growing, transport‑oriented development precinct with increasing population and employment targets, infrastructure investment in the Crows Nest area should deliver a net increase in community benefit – not eliminate a critical service with marginal gains.”
