Page 1114 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 30 March 2011
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I understand that an officer from the Department of Education and Training visited the site. But from there, nothing; and that was 12 months ago. I think that families in west Belconnen would be interested in saving $50 per child per day, and perhaps even more interested to know that Minister Barr and his departmental officers have simply not responded. This obviously is not an important enough issue in their book.
I find it very puzzling that the department and Minister Barr do not see this as a very easy way to provide a valuable service, something that would cost the territory nothing. In fact, if Baringa rented the premises it would actually provide some revenue while making parents’ lives easier and address the need for extra places. There are 10 paces between Baringa childcare centre and Spence preschool and it is a very easy task for the minister to action this. Yet the lack of action makes the lives of some of these families in west Belconnen more difficult and expensive than necessary.
We hear time after time from the government how important childcare is. We hear statistics and projections and about the need for national standards. But on a day-to-day basis what we find is that there does not seem to be a plan in place to meet the demand. There does not seem to be a willingness to respond positively and flexibly when providers show great initiative and put forward an innovative way to establish a service that meets the needs of parents and their children.
The Greens are very supportive of public preschools and will support their full utilisation. In Canberra, by the time a child reaches preschool age many families have both parents in paid employment. Without before and after preschool care options it can limit the choices for many families who would like their children to attend their local preschool. Quite often this is because it assists that transition from their preschool into kindergarten and into their neighbouring school. Currently, as I mentioned, Spence preschool operates only two days per week. I asked the minister to investigate the approach by Baringa and, in fact, the need for before and after preschool care, not just for parents in west Belconnen but across the territory.
I turn to Mrs Dunne’s motion. In respect of paragraph (1)(c), the Greens do not agree with the way that that has been worded—that there are only 10 places as a result of the $4 million investment. Our view is that it is true that amalgamating those services and setting them up at Flynn will only take that number from 96 to 110 but I think it is also fair to say that if Alkira did not have new premises that would be a loss of places there and if Gumnut did not have another location to set up that would also be a loss of those places. In other words, Alkira would be a loss of 70 places and Gumnut would be a loss of about 35 places. That was really why we did not agree to the inclusion of paragraph (1)(c).
I would at this point in my speech seek leave to move my amendments together.
Leave granted.
MS HUNTER: I move:
(1) Omit paragraph (1)(c).
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