Tony Crook (O'Connor, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to bring to the attention of the House my concern over the provision and sustainability of childcare services in regional Western Australia, largely as a result of changes in government policy. Continuing on from question time today, when I asked the Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare if the government would review their decision to cut funding to the neighbourhood model occasional care centres, I want to detail to the House some of the challenges that these small centres are facing.

In May 2010 the government withdrew funding from the neighbourhood occasional care model, which was previously a joint venture between the federal and state governments—52 and 48 per cent respectively. With so little notice given of the impending funding withdrawal, the state government of WA initiated emergency funding to allow these centres, often established by local governments or not-for-profit organisations and run by volunteers, to remain open and functioning. The state has stepped in to allow these centres more time to prepare for this change and to seek assistance from the federal government to again support this program. The state has agreed to fully fund these programs until 1 July 2011. However, funding is not guaranteed beyond that point.

From the minister’s response earlier today I understand that the government has increased but reprioritised funding in child care and early childhood education. Whilst this increased funding might benefit some centres in cities or large centres, I must impress on the House that these changes need to be undertaken in consultation with the community, childcare operators and state governments. The federal government cannot develop a plan—its plan—and then sail off into the sunset leaving other stakeholders to align themselves to the new strategy and appropriate budget funding according to the new strategy and what is no longer considered important. Working families, which includes those families working in regional WA, need more certainty than that. Childcare operators need more certainty on which to base their business decisions.

Some current neighbourhood model occasional care centres have expressed an interest in transitioning to part-time long day care, explicitly to allow them to access funding under the childcare benefit. However, current family assistance legislation requires long day care services to operate five days per week, a model that is not sustainable in many regional communities where demand for such a service is low, or the nature of the regional employment and composition of regional towns is such that requires some flexibility in the care model. Often it is a simple matter of practicalities; the local playgroup or other community groups might share the facilities, meaning that child care cannot operate full time. It has become apparent to me that the one size fits all approach does not work in regional WA and, whilst it may make sense on this side of the country, many of those affected that I talk to are struggling with these decisions.

This brings me to the issue of long day care. I have mentioned already the inflexibility of the current legislation in mandating a minimum number of operating hours and days to be eligible. I understand that exemptions can be granted by the Secretary of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to exempt a service from meeting all of these requirements and allowing the centre to operate as a part-time long day care centre. However, it has created much uncertainty for families over the future of existing centres, let alone for the communities and families that would like to establish childcare services in their town.

I have extended an invitation to the minister to visit Western Australia and to meet with some of these communities, childcare centres and families that need flexible government policy and appropriate funding. It is my belief that these centres provide a vital first-class service to working families in regional WA. I appreciate the minister’s response in question time today that she will visit my electorate to meet with some of these centres that I have mentioned.

My state National Party colleagues and I are fighting hard to retain families and workers in regional communities. A part of this fight is to retain amenities and services in these towns so that families, in particular, can feel they have the appropriate resources to raise a family. Central to this strategy is to ensure that we have good health systems, good communications, good education, a strong local economy and adequate childcare provision, amongst other factors.

I appreciate the need for regulation of an important community service like child care. However, common sense must prevail so that all Australians can access the child care they need. Not all communities have large populations to sustain a five-day-a-week operation. Some communities have special circumstances, such as seasonal or unique operating conditions. Government needs to be flexible to ensure that operators of child care—whether an individual, small business, local government or not-for-profit organisation—are sustainable and continue to provide this essential service to our community.

I look forward to the minister’s visit to O’Connor, and I acknowledge the interest she has taken in the concerns of families and childcare operators in Western Australia. (Time expired)