MALLEE MP Anne Webster has called on the new Labor Government to prioritise the child care needs of regional Victorians.
The Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Development wrote to the Minister for Education and the Minister for Early Childhood Education to urge them to commit to addressing the regional disadvantage.
Dr Webster said that many towns in her Mallee electorate have no childcare, leaving young families desperate and workplaces short of staff.
“Available child care is the difference for some families between one and two incomes. It has a dramatic impact on their financial stability,” Dr Webster said.
“It is also about equity and opportunity as women in particular should be able to pursue their career ambitions and passions.
“In a sparse electorate like Mallee, there are significant barriers to establishing child care centres, such as financial viability, staffing and attracting operators. But ultimately these challenges need to be addressed.
“While Labor promised in the election campaign to provide a 90 per cent subsidy on childcare for families with incomes up to $530,000, there is a disconnect in this ideal when there is no childcare within ‘cooee’.
“I am urging the incoming government to make this a priority of theirs, not just for Mallee, but for many communities throughout regional Australia who are experiencing this inequity.”
