LABOR STARVES REGIONS OF FUNDS AS FAMILIES REMAIN ON CHILDCARE WAITLISTS

The Albanese Government continues to starve regional Australia of much needed economic development with its failure to deliver on promised funding leading to delays and cost blow out on projects.

Member for Barker said access to childcare across Barker remained a barrier to regional families being able to increase their household income as they battled with the rising cost of living, while local businesses were struggling to find staff. 

“Disappointingly Labor has made very little to address the childcare access crisis in Barker. The two funding commitments they have made to increase the number of Childcare places in the Riverland and the South East has been put on go slow. The first is the election commitment to Kingston SE for $1.8 million, which I dragged them kicking and screaming to over two years ago. This project still doesn’t have a shovel in the ground thanks to Labor’s delays in executing the funding agreement. The second more recent commitment was for the Loxton District Children’s Centre via Growing Regions Program which was announced over three months ago and the organisation still hasn’t received a funding agreement and can’t proceed,” Mr Pasin said.

“The Albanese Labor Government has imposed a funding drought on regional communities which is now well into its third year,” Mr Pasin said.

“The Albanese Government is starving the regions of funding and in the case of projects that increase access to childcare, it’s holding back our regional economy, exacerbating workforce shortages and crippling household incomes.” 

“Labor Ministers are sitting on grants programs, refusing to part with money promised for the regions, choosing instead to hoard the cash to prop up the budget surplus in Canberra.”

Mr Pasin said it is now three months since the Albanese Labor Government committed to fund the Woodleigh project in Loxton under the Growing Regions Program and Labor has refused to provide a funding agreement to the organisation which would enable the project to begin leading to 140 full-time childcare places being made available.

“Projects can’t get underway until a funding agreement has been signed and in the case of Kingston SE Childcare this took two years. Unfortunately, it appears that the Woodleigh project might be on a similar trajectory as the Labor Government adds additional red tape by requiring the State Government to become a party to the agreement.”

“After an excruciating 40 week application process for Labor’s flagship regional funding program, there is no excuse for these ongoing delays given the Government’s own Growing Regions program guidelines required regional organisations to commence projects no later than 15 May 2024.

“The continued delays in Canberra are especially insulting given Loxton District Children’s Centre was given just 20 working days to prepare and submit their application.”

“Labor continues to trumpet their cheaper childcare policy in the face of regional families, who have no early learning services in their community, or are languishing on wait lists because the local center is full.”

“I want to see more support delivered to those families, to ensure equal access to education and care for all families regardless of their postcode.” Mr Pasin said.