Building a New Generation of NSW Public Preschools

Urbis was engaged by Richard Crookes Construction to support School Infrastructure NSW in securing planning approvals for a package of 12 new public preschools across the Newcastle and Mid North Coast regions. Co-located within existing public primary school sites, the $769 million program forms part of the NSW Government's commitment to deliver 100 new public preschools by 2027 and expand access to early childhood education in growing communities.

The program presented a complex planning challenge, involving multiple live school environments, varied site conditions, and differing statutory approval pathways. Each site required careful consideration of planning, environmental and operational constraints to enable efficient delivery.

Urbis provided planning advice throughout the program, identifying the most appropriate approval pathway for each preschool and managing the planning process across the package. This included reviewing technical inputs and delivering planning approvals primarily under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act through the preparation of Review of Environmental Factors (REFs).

Working closely with Richard Crookes Construction and School Infrastructure NSW, the Urbis team addressed site specific planning issues, environmental considerations and stakeholder requirements to support informed decision making and streamlined project delivery.

Our transport specialists also prepared transport impact assessments for each site, helping to inform access arrangements, operational considerations and the broader approvals process.

By providing a coordinated planning and approvals strategy across all 12 sites, Urbis helped facilitate the efficient delivery of a complex multi-site program. Our integrated planning and transport advice supported timely approvals, managed project risks and enabled consistent decision making across the package.

The project will contribute to increased access to high quality public preschool education across the Newcastle and Mid North Coast regions, supporting local families and helping deliver important social infrastructure throughout New South Wales.