Brindabella Christian College now has a new owner, but none could be found for its Early Learning Centre in Charnwood. Photo: Region.
Brindabella Christian College’s Early Learning Centre in Charnwood will close in two weeks after administrators failed to find a buyer.
Brindabella Christian Education Limited administrators Sal Algeri and Sam Marsden, who successfully negotiated the multi-million dollar sale of the College to Christian Community Ministries, said the decision came at the end of an extensive expression of interest campaign.
Families with children aged three and over can transfer to the Lyneham ELC, but site restrictions there mean it cannot cater for children under three.
The administrators estimate that of the 35 children enrolled at Charnwood, 22 are eligible to transfer to Lyneham.
Three Charnwood ELC employees had already transferred to Lyneham, but seven positions will be made redundant.
Voluntary administrator and Deloitte turnaround and restructuring partner Sam Marsden said the administrators understood the closure of the Charnwood ELC would be of concern to affected families and employees, and wanted to give as much advance notice of its closure as possible.
“As the school community is aware, we have run an extensive sale of business and recapitalisation process for the Charnwood campus ELC. Unfortunately, this process did not result in an outcome whereby the future of the ELC could be secured,” he said.
“Regrettably, this means the Charnwood campus ELC must close. The last day of operations will be Friday, 6th June 2025. Whilst I have endeavoured to provide as much notice to families and staff as possible, we are unable to keep the ELC trading past this date.
“We will continue to communicate closely with the Brindabella Christian Education Limited community to assist the transition of enrolment of eligible children to the Lyneham ELC.”
The administrators shut down the Charnwood campus K-6 school on 11 April.
They were called in by the former school board in March when teachers could not be paid, with investigations showing BCEL owed more than $23 million to creditors, including $6.1 million to the ATO and $9.3 million to NAB.
The sale of the school to CCM will be enough to clear the tax debt and more will be known about the other debts at the second creditors meeting, to be called by 3 August.
Deloitte encourages any parties with queries to contact the turnaround and restructuring team by email at brindabellaadmin@deloitte.com.au or through a dedicated telephone hotline on 1800 955 948.
