WA community receives $2m boost for local childcare centre

The small town of Onslow in the Pilbara region of Western Australia has received a welcome boost to childcare services courtesy of Chevron Australia.

The company is donating more than $2 million through its Wheatstone LNG (liquefied natural gas) operation, located around 12 kilometres outside of the town. The money has been used to double capacity at the local One Tree childcare centre through a new expansion, and will also be used as part of a support package to attract and train new staff.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with the community to increase the number of places we can offer local families,” said One Tree Community Services CEO Karri Hillier.

The donation was achieved with the aid of the Onslow Chamber of Commerce, Shire of Ashburton (one of the four local government areas in the Pilbara), Onslow Salt and resources company BHP.

Wheatstone Plant Manager Deanne Renting said that the support package would provide a financial incentive to encourage Onslow locals to undertake qualifications, as well as attract new qualified residents to the community.

“The centre needs to grow from five to 10 staff to meet the centre’s larger capacity and to extend the operating hours to better meet the needs of the community, many of whom undertake shift work,” she said.