Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has continued her campaign for more childcare facilities in the region, speaking on the issue during Parliament this week.
Ms Cleeland addressed the lack of childcare options within the Euroa electorate, including towns like Avenel and Nagambie, while speaking on the Education and Training Reform Amendment (Land Powers) Bill 2023.
The Bill will expand the State Government’s ability to acquire land for childcare facilities and was introduced after Labor had failed to find suitable sites for the vast majority of new childcare centres.
““To date, the Victorian Government has only identified land for four of their 50 new childcare centres and the government is still unable to clarify when sites for the remaining centres will be announced,” Ms Cleeland said.
“As things currently stand, regional Victoria is in dire need of more childcare.
“The lack of childcare options are placing a significant hurdle in front of young people who want to raise their family in the country.
“Towns like Avenel and Nagambie are struggling with outrageous waitlists caused by a lack of childcare and early learning facilities.
“In some areas, we’ve got incredible local providers but in most of these places there’s up to six kids competing for each place. It’s simply not sustainable.”
Ms Cleeland said it was pleasing that Seymour was included as part of the Government’s roll-out of new early learning centres, however it was alarming seeing a lack of urgency to get the centre established.
“Sadly, there has been a clear lack of urgency when it comes to the establishment of this centre, and many others in our regional communities,” Ms Cleeland said.
“From current timetables, it looks as if the Seymour facility will not be built until 2028, despite there being a pressing need for it right now.
“There remains no information as to where this will be built, and when construction will begin.”
A 2022 report from the Mitchell Institute indicated that the Euroa electorate had a number of Childcare Deserts, meaning areas that have less than 0.333 childcare places per child aged four and under.
The report showed that the Seymour region, Benalla, and Kilmore-Broadford were some of the areas struggling the most, while smaller towns such as Murchison, Rushworth, Tooborac and Redesdale had no childcare at all.
