Mumbulla School begin work on Spenco land

Mumbulla School for Rudolf Steiner Education began earthworks on the former Spenco site this week.

The School are purchasing a parcel of land behind Bega St. adjacent to the existing school block.   Once the site has been through rehabilitation, construction will start on a purpose-built Kindergarten.

In the early 1870’s, the land was used by a tannery and owned by John Spence. In the 1960s, the site was developed into a trucking firm, Spenco, which closed in the 1980s. Since then, land has been the site of a second hand building materials warehouse but generally remained vacant and an excellent home to weeds.

There have been a number of proposed commercial uses for the site with none coming to fruition. Most recently the land has been owned by Spotlight Group Holdings after they acquired sites from the Masters Hardware chain.

A new Kindergarten has been a priority in Mumbulla School’s Strategic Plan for many years. The current Kindergarten building was originally a commercial laundry and was converted to classrooms for the school to open in 1988. The school’s Master Planning Group have explored a variety of Kindergarten location options using existing land that the school already owns. They have grappled with parking requirements, paper roads and aging buildings. The 2009 economic stimulus funding from the Federal government put another pause in plans while the Susan Haris Hall, Georgie Library and new classrooms were built.

In 2017, Mumbulla School Business Manager Hallie Fernandez, approached the Spotlight Group to see if they would be interested in selling some of the vacant land. This process has also taken twists and turns but finally the machines are in and the rehabilitation work is starting.

“Our neighbours and local community will see movement on the land over the next year,” said Ms Fernandez. “With a beautiful new Kindergarten at the end of it.”

With Mumbulla School as the new stewards of the land, the community can be assured that positive environmental benefit will extend from the school’s boundary to the adjacent boundary of Spencer Lagoon which then feeds into the Bega River.

Helping to fund the new Kindergarten classrooms, due to open in 2021, is a grant for $450,000 from the Commonwealth Government Block Grant Authority (BGA).

Mumbulla School welcomes enrolment enquiries for all classes from Playgroup to Class 6.

Anyone wishing to know more about the rehabilitation work or enrolment at Mumbulla School can contact the School on 02 6492 3476.