And there's another in the pipeline.

Brisbane developer Australian Childcare Solutions (ACS) last week won approval to build the 94-child centre on Stock Road.

ACS Director Darren Jonsson said the $2.5 million childcare centre would be a top-of-the-line institution.

"What you'd see in a new capital city [centre] is what we're bringing to Gunnedah. Our imagined specification is very high. The level of offering is all the latest. The barista coffee services, the programs for kids, full kitchens and meals. It's definitely the new state-of-the-art childcare model," he said.

It was one of two applications before Gunnedah Shire Council, a market response to the town's enormous shortage of childcare places.

There are 750 Gunnedah kids from zero to four years old, but just 223 existing childcare places in the town.

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Pediatric and Maternity Services committee member and Gunnedah mum Amber Donoghue said it was much harder for people who'd just moved to town to find childcare places. The shortfall could even create economic problems, she said.

"Our demographic is a largely a community of young growing families, largely due to mining," she said.

"We're aware that for those families to obviously maintain employment in the community we need to ensure there's childcare facilities available. So we're very supportive of ongoing childcare development in the town."

She said the developer's interest in constructing new centres shows there's market demand for more services in the town.

Mr Johnston said "realistically" the Stock Road centre would open in about 12 months away.

He didn't speculate whether the centre would eliminate the education shortfall, but said it would be their last build for some time.

"We don't forsee any further centres [after this one] - I'm not saying they'd never do that in the future. At the moment it's going to be the biggest centre in town, 94 places. there's no immediate intent for our company to build any further right now," he said.

The centre will be operated by operated by Imagine Childcare. It was approved by Gunnedah Shire Council on April 26. It will be built on the site of the old Gunnedah Trinity Lutheran Church.

Gunnedah Shire Council has yet to determine whether to approve a $585,000 childcare centre on Conadilly Street with capacity for 63 children.

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