LOCAL Federal MP Anne Webster says “more needs to be spent” as the Coalition weighs its childcare policy ahead of this year’s election.
Federal Member for Farrer and shadow minister for women Sussan Ley last month said the Opposition was still weighing its policy, after Labor committed to spending an extra $1 billion on childcare late last year.
Pressure is being ramped up on both major parties by a petition from regional groups calling for steps to universal healthcare in Australia, with the Country Women’s Association of New South Wales becoming a signatory last week.
Since then, advocacy groups the Minderoo Foundation and Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project have lifted the number of signatories to 70.
Already the National Farmers Federation, the National Rural Women’s Coalition and industry group GrainGrowers have signed the universal healthcare pledge.
According to a Victoria University study last year, about 24 per cent of Australians still live in ‘childcare deserts’ – where there are one or less childcare spots for every three children – down from 35 per cent in 2022.
However, a majority of regional and rural Australian communities were deemed childcare deserts with the report saying about 700,000 Australians live in areas with virtually no access to childcare at all.
Dr Webster said a tour of four Mallee towns – including Robinvale and Cohuna – late last year with Coalition shadow minister for early childhood education and shadow minister for youth, Angie Bell, reaffirmed her belief for more spending.
“Plenty of towns can’t access childcare,” she said. “More needs to be spent.”
Dr Webster said the issue was threatening the full range of family incomes, with professionals like physiotherapists among those she spoke to considering relocation.
The VU study found ‘Mildura surrounds’, Red Cliffs and ‘Swan Hill surrounds’ were childcare deserts, although Mildura, Irymple and Robinvale had about one spot for every two children.
Labor’s plan includes establishing or expanding 160 early childhood education and care centres in “areas of need”.
Australia currently has about 9000 registered centres.
