WARRNAMBOOL'S Florence Collins Children's Services Complex has temporarily closed its doors.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A Warrnambool City Council spokesman said the centre was closed on May 17 after it was discovered a slow water leak was causing damage to parts of the building.
He said the floor, along with some structural timber and plasterboard had been affected.
"The damp environment has also triggered the growth of some mould, mostly in the space between the ground and floor," the spokesman said.
He said South West TAFE, which manages the building, and council were working with insurers to thoroughly assess the state of the building and determine what work will be required to fix it.
A note on the door of the complex, which houses the city's maternal child health centre and a child care centre, advises the services have been relocated.
"Resolving the issues with the building will take some months," the spokesman said.
He said children had been relocated to council's children's services centre at Swan Reserve.
"Families have been understanding throughout the process and the TAFE was very helpful in initially accommodating children on its campus," the spokesman said.
"Staff worked extremely hard to ensure the transition to TAFE then Swan Reserve went smoothly."
The spokesman said the services being offered at Florence Collins were still being provided but in a different location.
"All children (more than 80) have been looked after at other council facilities," he said.
The centre was temporarily closed back in November 2016 after mould was found.
At the time a council spokeswoman told The Standard that damp, cool conditions most likely contributed to the issue.
She said the move was a precautionary measure and followed a test for mould at the centre.
At the time the centre reopened a week after it was closed for maintenance.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.