Bullsbrook families ‘devastated’ as air base daycare to close over noise concerns

Bullsbrook families are scrambling to find a new daycare after the Department of Defence revealed the Flying Start childcare centre at the RAAF Pearce Airbase would close in December.

Eilis Spence, whose two-year-old daughter attends the centre, said she was shocked to hear of the impending closure, attributed partly to an “anticipated increase in aircraft noise levels”.

“Being a single mum this is causing significant stress and financial pressure on us,” she said.

“There’s two other daycares in the town, one of which is always full and I wouldn’t like her going to, and the other can’t guarantee the spots until the end of the year.

“This daycare also cost an extra $50 per day. For a single mum already stretched to her means it has a big impact on us.

“She has been attending Flying Start since February 2024 and the centre is like family to us. We are devastated.”

Bullsbrook is one of Perth’s fastest-growing outer suburbs and is popular with younger families. Its population is set to boom over the next decade, with new developments including Mirvac’s recently announced 83-hectare, 1200-property estate in South Bullsbrook.

Spence said she was told to send her child to a daycare centre in Ellenbrook.

“[This] is a 30-minute addition to our day and I work all over Perth, so can’t guarantee where I’ll be each day and often working from home, meaning I’ll be doing unnecessary extra driving for my child to attend daycare,” she said.

Flying Start is one of several daycare centres at defence bases across the country run by One Tree.

In its message to parents, One Tree said the Pearce daycare was reaching the end of its lease, which would not be renewed.

One Tree said aircraft noise was part of the reason to not renew the lease.

“Due to several contributing factors, including the anticipated increase of aircraft noise levels and the childcare centre’s close proximity to the runway, Defence has made the difficult decision to close the Flying Start Defence Childcare Centre,” the email to parents read.

Defence confirmed it was closing the centre on December 19 and was assisting families find alternative care options.

Other factors behind the decision not to renew the lease included historic low demand for the service among defence families, access control, and ageing infrastructure.

Families who attend the centre were invited to attend information sessions at RAAF Base Pearce.

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