No early education care places in ‘childcare desert’

from The Northern Rivers Times Newspaper Edition 206

Flood plain DA refusal “historic” and “monumental”

By Samantha Elley

Rachael Lane and Jaclyn Pilbeam are two young mums who are fnding it diffcult to navigate the lack of childcare spaces in the Lismore area.

Because she was unable to fnd childcare for her two-year-old daughter, Sophie, Rachael does shiftwork at night, packing shelves, then takes over at home so her husband can go to work during the day.

Jaclyn was luckier in that she was able to fnd a place for her 13-monthold daughter, Evie, but she had to take extreme action.

“We had our daughter Evie on a daycare (list) before she was even born,” she said.

“She is still on waiting lists, as Evie goes to daycare that is 20-30 minutes from our house.

“It’s not ideal for our family. I need to go to work. I’d love to stay at home with my children but it’s just not an option for me.”

Ms Pilbeam said the cost of living meant she had to work, but not only that, her time at work helped her as well.

“I am a better mum when I work,” she said.

“I am quite happy to send my child to daycare, although it’s not my frst option. It works for me and it works for my family.

“We need those options available in our area for mums like me.”

Ms Pilbeam said that the waiting lists in Lismore for childcare is on average 200 young ones.

Isabel McLennan of The Learning Cottage in Lismore and Wollongbar confrmed the numbers.

“I’ve got 300 families on both waiting lists,” she said.

“That’s 600 children that we can’t supply places for.”

Another issue, especially since the 2022 food, is the need for quality early childhood educators, according to Mitch Hutchinson of Kyogle Early Learning.

“To fll those spots with quality educators is also a big issue in this area,” he said.

“To attract and retain high quality early childhood teachers in the area where there’s zero rentals (and) high cost of living area is really hard for the award wages they get paid.”

The opposition is calling for the government to address the crisis for young families.

“This is a big problem across our country,” said Angie Bell, Shadow Minister for Early

Bentley Public Hall

Midway between Lismore & Kyogle

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Childhood Education.

“We are looking at more fexibility and choice for regional families that currently do not have access to early learning.”

Minister Bell said the issue seemed more acute in Lismore, due to the food crisis, but it was an issue across the country.

“There are 9 million Australians who live in a childcare desert and what that means is there are three children waiting for every place available.”

Minister Bell said the Labor government needed to step up and deliver more for regional families.

“They spent $4.7 billion on their Cheaper Childcare Bill and all they’ve delivered is zero places for regional Australians,” she said.

“Fees have gone up by 7% in less than six months and so families are paying more, which means they have to work longer hours.”

And while Minister Bell was unable to reveal the childcare policy of the Coalition, more would be revealed closer to the next election.

“What we want to see is fexibility and choice for families,” she said.

A new report from the Centre for Policy Development was released last week and it recommended bold reforms to ensure universal early education and care for all children.

Ten key reforms were suggested in the Growing Together: A future universal early childhood education and care system for Australia report.

These included ensuring all children had access to a minimum of three days of early childhood education and care a week at low or no cost.

“Three days is perfect,” said Jaclyn.

“It feels like a happy medium. I feel like I can give more to my children.

“It’s good socialisation for the kids and you’ve still got four days with your children at zero dollar rate.”

Planning work recognised Clarence Valley Council has been recognised at the Local Government Professionals Award dinner held in Sydney on June 6.

Council general manager Laura Black said she was proud of the result and the efforts of the staff in achieving the result.

Council was a fnalist in fve categories including Special Project Initiative, Innovative Leadership, Partnership and Collaboration, People Workplace Wellbeing categories as well the Emerging Leaders category.

“Staff have worked hard on making the transition to the NSW Planning Portal as streamlined as possible and as one of the frst councils in the State to have completed the integration with our corporate systems it was great to see it recognised as a winner at the Local Government Professionals Awards,” Ms Black said.

$400k to transform

Yamba CBD

The Yamba community will have $400,000 to spend on developing a new look for its CBD after winning a state government grant.

The grant, part of the NSW Government’s Community Improvement District Pilot Program, will help the community and businesses to make the most of their open public spaces and local character to attract more visitors and make the CBD more vibrant, day and night.

The government said the plan was to empower businesses and communities to revitalise their own local centres across both metropolitan and regional areas.

Nineteen new citizens welcomed The Clarence Valley welcomed 19 new members over the June Long Weekend at a citizenship ceremony in Grafton.

Clarence Valley Council’s general manager, Laura Black, led the ceremony held at the Grafton Council

In Brief

Chambers held last Thursday.

Councillor Allison Whaites was also on hand to welcome the new citizens and present them with their certifcates.

JADA judge revealed Grafton Regional Art Gallery has revealed the this year’s judge for the richest regional drawing award in Australia.

Last week the gallery confrmed the judge for the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, worth $35,000 to the winner will be deputy director at Artspace, Sydney Michelle Newton.

Ms Newton has been the deputy director at Artspace since 2012, and in this time has co-commissioned and co-curated signifcant projects with artists and in partnership with leading international institutions.

The 2024 JADA will be judged in the days prior to the JADA Offcial Opening Gala, on September 27.

Entries for the 2024 JADA are open until midnight, Sunday, June and local character, attracting more visitors and making the CBD more vibrant both day and night.

The NSW Government’s commitment through this program is to empower businesses and communities to revitalize their local centres, benefting both metropolitan and regional areas.

30.

Artists from across Australia aged 18 and over and are invited to enter the award, with an acquisitive frst prize of $35,000 and $5,000 early career award.

Yamba’s CBD

Transformed Thanks to Community Improvement Program Yamba’s CBD is set for a signifcant transformation, thanks to a $400,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Community Improvement District Pilot Program. This initiative aims to help local communities and businesses maximize their open public spaces

Community Improvement Districts provide a platform for businesses and communities to collaborate, stimulating local economies and enhancing the overall appeal of these areas.

Clarence Valley Council’s General Manager, Laura Black, highlighted the program’s potential to establish a community engagement model. “This pilot program offers us the chance to strengthen relationships with stakeholders to deliver enhancements and activities that support sustainable economic growth and revitalization of Yamba’s CBD,” Ms. Black said.

The Council is set to collaborate with local businesses, the Yamba Chamber of Commerce, and community members, beginning with a Stakeholder Summit in the coming months. This summit will allow for the sharing of enhancement ideas and the planning of initiatives aimed at increasing visitation rates and providing an attractive, safe destination for CBD visitors.

“The pilot program enables us to deliver both physical and non-physical improvements,” Ms. Black continued. “These include developing a district brand and vision, incorporating smart technology, adding outdoor furniture, public art, lighting, and urban greening. These efforts will culminate in a Yamba CBD event in 2025.”

The Community Improvement District Pilot Program represents a signifcant opportunity for Yamba to enhance its public spaces, support local businesses, and create a vibrant, welcoming environment for all.

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