Support pledged for childcare capabilities

LABOR has announced $450,000 will go towards the Bannockburn Family Services Centre should they win the upcoming Federal election.

The promise was revealed last week when Shadow Minister for Childhood Education and Development, Amanda Rishworth, and Member for Corangamite, Libby Coker, visited the centre.

The funding will be aimed at expanding the childcare capabilities of the centre, which Ms Coker said is a growing concern with the increasing local population.

“The current services in Bannockburn hit full capacity earlier this year, and the waiting list is now getting longer and longer,” she said.

“Bannockburn and the Golden Plains generally have a rapidly expanding population, and a lot of the growth is in young families with kids.

“This funding is desperately needed, and needed on-the-ground to get the extended facilities built as soon as possible.”

“Bannockburn is the only town in the whole Shire with childcare centres, so there’s a big catchment area.”

The pledge complements Labor’s previously-announced election plans to implement more affordable childcare across Australia.

Their initiative would raise the maximum childcare subsidy rate to 90 per cent for firstborn children receiving services.

It would also further increase the rates for families earning less than $530,000 and with one child in care.

Ms Rishworth said greater accessibility of childcare is a top priority for Labor, and that their support will feed into the national economy.

“In Australia today many parents have to make a decision about whether they bother going to work, because all of their pay is going into childcare. It’s just so expensive,” she said.

“We need to support these families so parents have the choice of going back to work, which is good for the family budget and good for the Australian economy.”

A statement released by Golden Plains Shire welcomed the election pledge.

“Golden Plains Shire Council welcomes an election funding announcement from the Australian Labor Party of $450,000 towards the extension of the Bannockburn Family Services Centre,” the statement said.

“The $1.1 million proposed extension of the BFSC will deliver an additional 60 kindergarten places to meet future growth in the south of Golden Plains.

“Of the Shire’s population, 11.4 per cent is aged 5 to 11 years, which is the highest rate in Victoria.”