Tuesday, 30 May 2023

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (18:30): (256) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep. The action I am seeking is for the minister to work with Colac Otway shire to find a way to ensure ongoing local access to childcare services for people in Apollo Bay.

Access to child care is profoundly lower across regional Victoria than in metro Melbourne. The female workforce participation rate, which is 57.7 per cent, is also lower than for men at 65.2 per cent. While there are many reasons driving women’s workforce participation, access to child care is a significant factor, particularly in the Barwon region and even more so in remote towns such as Apollo Bay. The largest employing sectors for women are health care and social assistance, retail trade, education and training, and accommodation and food services, which are all experiencing significant workforce shortages. A lack of affordable housing in Apollo Bay is a key factor in not being able to get workers, and commuting workers from other towns who might be looking at a 2-hour drive is just not feasible.

The lack of child care is embedding inequality for women, who cannot return to work as they do not have adequate childcare options. Apollo Bay now also faces the devastating reality that its only childcare service will close its doors. Apollo Bay child care is a private operator providing the town’s only childcare services out of buildings owned by Great Ocean Road Health. This space is now required by Great Ocean Road Health so they can expand their allied health services as soon as possible. The high cost of real estate in Apollo Bay and the lack of alternative suitable sites for childcare provision, plus the workforce shortage, means the owners of AB child care cannot afford to set up their business from an alternative site. This will create a desperate situation for working parents who need child care in Apollo Bay and will have a dramatic impact on the capacity of local businesses and the provision of essential services. I ask the minister to commit to working with Colac Otway shire as a matter of urgency to ensure child care can continue to be offered in Apollo Bay.