Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was an absolute honour to officially open Wollondilly's fantastic new Children's Services Building in Picton just last month. The building is already being enjoyed by many local families, with the fantastic service supporting those families there. The $5 million project was co-funded by Wollondilly Shire Council under the Western Parkland City Liveability Program as part of the Western Sydney City Deal. I led the process of putting together the Western Sydney City Deal and setting up the livability fund in one of my former ministerial roles. This is absolutely fantastic news for families in Picton.

I must also acknowledge the challenges faced by many other families in my electorate when it comes to childcare services. I've been speaking to families across the electorate, like Bec from Goulburn, hearing their stories and experiences with growing waitlists for child care. Bec's story of waiting almost two years to secure child care for her daughter and of the financial strain it imposes is unfortunately becoming just too familiar. Dialina, also from Goulburn, is concerned about the scarcity of qualified staff. Kaley, an educator herself for more than 18 years, says challenges for childcare workers mean centres are struggling to keep staff. The issue for so many parents in my electorate is that the vacancies and the supporting staff simply don't exist. To Bec, Dialina, Kaley and all the other parents that have shared their experiences: thank you. We support you.