| Id | Name | Type | Places | Approval | Distance (Km) | Day Rate | Availability |
|---|
* Click centres on the map for more detail and custom analysis options.
Key Metrics
Thursday Island / Rest of Qld
LDC Providers
1
926
Total LDC Places
65
76,912
Total Population
2,868
2,852,242
Persons Per Place
44.1
-
Avg Centre Age
16.3 yrs
12 yrs
Population 0-4
230
156,634
0-4 Per LDC Place
3.54
2.1
Workforce Impact
Standard
Standard
School Attendance
1,385
-
School Per LDC Place
21.31
5.8
Avg LDC Fee ($/day)
$-
$152
Other Places (PSK/OOSH)
77
-
SOURCE: ACECQA, StartingBlocks, ABS data analysed by AreaSearch
Last updated:
Approvals Pipeline
Childcare development approvals near Thursday Island
Development applications around Thursday Island
Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch.
We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
CC Approvals
—
In the local catchment
Proposed Places
—
Where disclosed
Under Assessment
—
Awaiting determination
Determined
—
Approved or decided
Approvals pipeline
Status, location, timing and project scale
Loading childcare approvals…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Places | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Thursday Island Child Care FAQ
What is the Child Care supply composition of Thursday Island?
As of our last update on May 24, 2026, there are 8 child care centres in Thursday Island. Of these, a single centre provides Long Day Care admissions with 65 places, 3 centres provide Preschool/Kindergarten offering 77 places, and 4 centres provide other child care services. The area is also serviced by 4 schools, collectively accommodating 1,385 enrolments.
What population do these centres in Thursday Island service?
AreaSearch's latest population estimate for Thursday Island as at May 2026 stands at a total of 2,868 people, of this 230 are estimated to be children under five years of age.
Why do your population numbers differ from Census figures for Thursday Island?
Some areas have changed considerably since the 2021 Census was undertaken. At the 2021 Census Thursday Island was assessed as having 2,805 people with 216 of these (7.7%) being children under 5 years old. Given changes in localised population estimates by the ABS we estimate that Thursday Island has experienced population growth of approximately 63 people from the 2021 Census.
How does the ratio of children per LDC place in Thursday Island compare to those in Rest of Qld?
In Thursday Island, our latest analysis shows there are 3.5 resident children under 5yo per LDC place. This figure is significantly higher than the 2.1 children per place across Rest of Qld.
How do childcare fees in Thursday Island relate to those in Rest of Qld?
Childcare fees in Thursday Island average $, which is not directly comparable the regional average of $152 in Rest of Qld.
How does the ratio of school population per LDC place compare in Thursday Island and Rest of Qld?
In Thursday Island, there are 21.3 students per LDC place. This figure is significantly higher than the 5.8 students per LDC place in Rest of Qld.
What is the average age of Long Daycare Centres in Thursday Island?
The average LDC in Thursday Island was approved 16.3 years ago, while across Rest of Qld the typical centre approval is 12 years old.
Is the local workforce a significant driver of additional child care demand for Thursday Island?
Workforce activity is within the standard range and may moderately influence child care demand in this area.
Who would typically use analysis such as this?
Childcare operators, developers, investors and financiers would typically conduct a thorough child care supply and demand analysis (SDA) on Thursday Island before allocating the significant amount of capital required. Boundary-based analysis such as this is often used as an initial guide however, and analysis would be undertaken on the specific site adopting a radial, travel time, or custom catchment to take into account nearby competition and demand drivers that would influence a centre's performance.
Find & Assess a Centre
Search by name, postcode, or address to explore supply & demand for any child care or school catchment in Australia.
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Nearby suburbs & deeper analysis
What will drive demand from here?
Centre supply and current places are an output, not a leading indicator. For the demand-side drivers of this area — population growth, 0–4 cohort trends, dwelling supply, workforce participation and competing development pipeline — open the relevant deep-dive page.