Northcote electorate
Kat THEOPHANOUS (Northcote) (14:40): (405) My question is to the Minister for Children, and I ask: what is the impact on communities when councils move to increase charges, shorten leases or privatise not-for-profit early learning services? Residents of the inner north are outraged as Darebin council has moved to cut our 18 community centre leases to a mere two years under the guise of developing a new council-wide leasing policy. What they gloss over is the new leasing policy likely involves burdening centres with new rates, taxes and utility and maintenance costs. At a time when state and federal governments are making massive investments into free kinder and cheaper child care, Darebin council wants to pull out resources to help its bottom line. Families are angry, staff and educators are in a state of extreme uncertainty and nobody can plan for the future. Across Melbourne we have seen councils do the same, and we have seen it lead to privatisation and closures. Our community deserves better. I stand with educators, staff, families and children that rely on community early learning centres and I call on Darebin to do better.