Mr PASIN (Barker) (13:53): Australian families deserve access to quality child care regardless of where they live. Access to child care is good for families, good for communities and good for local economies. I was thrilled to see in this week’s budget that the government is increasing access to child care for families in regional and remote areas by providing $19.4 million to support the establishment of 20 new childcare services.
Those in this chamber have heard me speak about Kingston South East and a lack of childcare services before. It’s a town is less than 2,000 people, but it’s a town with a big need for increased child care, with around 50 families currently on the waiting list. Kingston District Council made an application to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency following the devastating Keilira bushfire for funding to establish a standalone childcare service for the community. That application, sadly, was unsuccessful, and I haven’t been backwards in coming forward about my disappointment with that outcome. A farming region devastated by fire, and parents unable to earn off-farm income because there was no childcare service available. While the agency might not feel this is an important issue, I’ve got to tell you that I certainly do. I will continue to fight for funding until I see a service delivered in Kingston South East.
