MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster has held talks with various federal Labor ministers to raise “significant” issues affecting the “day-to-day” lives of people in her electorate, especially access to childcare.
Dr Webster met Minister for Regional Development and Local Government Kristy McBain and separately, the Minister for Early Childhood Education Anne Aly, and the Minister for Health Mark Butler to discuss issues affecting regional Australia.
“Access to childcare has been an ongoing issue for many towns throughout Mallee including Birchip, Boort, Wedderburn, Cohuna, Pyramid Hill and Murtoa,” she said.
“I raised this with both ministers to urge greater investment to address the widespread lack and insisted the continuation of the Community Child Care Fund.
“I spoke to the ministers about how the lack of childcare impinged further on our struggling workforce.
“I told Ms McBain that it was a no-brainer that childcare was having an ongoing detrimental impact on workforce shortages. I had raised the same issue with Ms Aly when I met her last week.”
The doctor shortage issue was also raised, amid “deep concerns” about the ongoing crisis that is “diminishing the health outcomes of rural and regional communities”.
“All towns have shortages or simply no doctors and a thin market of nurses,” Dr Webster said.
“I argued that government must step in and provide solutions such as block funding for allied health, and a more integrated service delivery for preventative care.
“I also talked about the concept of matching provider numbers to postcodes of desperate need and the detrimental damage the expansion of the Distribution Priority Areas will deliver to regional communities.
