MLA blames council for childcare crisis
(Melbourne Bayside Weekly: Author – Henrietta Cook)
OAKLEIGH MLA Ann Barker has accused Glen Eira Council of failing to collaborate with the state government to find long-term solutions to the area’s impending childcare crisis.
‘‘Glen Eira must be the only council in the state that is not doing this collaborative approach and needs to sit down and seriously talk about it,’’ she said.
Barker’s comments follow a state government announcement that Carnegie Preschool will be temporarily relocated to Carnegie Primary School next year. The relocation of the 1914 kindergarten to a demountable building at Carnegie Primary School follows four years of uncertainty after the Uniting Church sold the Toolambool Road site, where the preschool is currently located.
Barker expressed frustration that a permanent location for the preschool had not been found and said the council was continuing to push for short-term solutions, such as building kindergartens within primary schools, when children’s centres that deliver childcare, kindergarten and maternal child health were the answer.
Glen Eira mayor Steven Tang said the council had submitted two applications this year to establish children’s centre hubs in McKinnon and Elsternwick, both suburbs outside Barker’s electorate, and neither was funded. Only two of 15 kindergarten grant applications submitted by the council were funded.
‘‘All Victorian councils are united in concern about the under-funding of new kindergarten policies,’’ he said.
Director of Carnegie Preschool Pam Marti said families had been feeling anxious about the situation for some time. She said Carnegie was in desperate need of more kindergarten places to accommodate the high numbers of young families moving into the area.
In April, Glen Eira Council submitted its Universal Access Kindergarten Report to the state government, which predicted demand for kindergarten places in Glen Eira will increase by more than 50 per cent from 2010 to 2013 as a result of a federal and state government policy change that aims to increase four-year-old kindergarten from 10 to 15 hours per week.
Barker said the council’s report didn’t provide an appropriate long-term solution to the issue.
‘‘ I’d like to see [the council] stop saying this is a state government responsibility and to say we have these buildings and these possible sites and to talk about it.’’
Questions to councillors:
- Did council apply for the $500,000 grant – especially since a govt report of 2005 nominated Glen Eira as ‘high priority’?
- If Glen Eira, with such a ‘crisis’ looming is unsuccessful in its grant applications, then questions as to the quality and nature of applications have every right to be asked.
- When over $19 million is further distributed by the State Government on 20th October (http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/component/content/article/12377.html) residents again have the right to ask why Glen Eira isn’t listed in the above catalogue of successful applicants?
Glen Eira Debates 
November 1, 2010 at 10:20 AM
Just a PS: Our stats for October recorded 7,721 hits. Again on the rise! spread the word and together let’s make this the genuine debating forum in Glen Eira!!!
November 1, 2010 at 1:02 PM
that issue clearly shows that this clowncil, which includes the ceo is good for nothing. clearly the kindergarten problems are nothing to do with any state or federal governments labor or liberal. it is all to do with the stupid, stupid mindset and mentality of both the councillors and administration headed by andrew newton over the last 10 years. no triple bottom line accounting for them (social, environmental, financial). money, money, money is all that counts. and of course empire building. if it is not a multi million dollars project for people with plenty of spare money for things like arts or sports, forget it.
and just an observation. glen eira ruling body and the ceo are liberals that believe governments should be small and not interfere in anything that private enterprise do. so why do we have such a big bureaucracy? and pay so much rates? i cannot see value for money in glen eira. can anyone? just an indication of the bloody waste that would never be tolerated by a proper business approach. all second floor council buildings are grossly underutilised. all maternal and child centres are grossly underutilised. why or why could they be not used for a kindergarten or two? why or why build more 2 storey buildings when 1 storey will do? why or why build exeloos instead simple toilets that cost much less?
if one would anlyse the empire building projects over the last 10 years plenty of money would be available for kindergartens, and other social infrastructure projects. or why do we have to suffer this disadvantage in comparison to other councils? get rid od them all. ensure that you elect councillors that can and will clean up that lousy, lousy stable.
November 1, 2010 at 5:07 PM
We’ve received numerous comments from readers on the Tucker Ward forum and the issue of funding for various pavilions and the provision of adequate facilities. This relates directly to the provision of childcare/kindergarten facilities as well. Upon checking the minutes of December 2008, until the present day (that is the reign of the current councillors) we note that in-camera discussions have awarded over $5 million to sporting facilities alone. Please note, that these figures DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE TENDERS WHICH WERE NOT RELEASED IN THE PUBLIC MINUTES, nor does this figure include the 30 odd million that is to be spent on GESAC from ratepayers money, nor does it include the 32 million forecast for pavilion upgrades – and the cost will be even higher since these latter figures are from 2007. Nor does it include the money already spent on the Caulfield and Princes Park pavilions, NOR does it include the money spent on the ‘relocation’ of the Caulfield park ovals due to a major stuff up with the pavilion size. Oh, and then there’s the cost of the millions of litres of water that had to be spent in order to make the grass grow there – all at the height of the greatest drought period.
The end result is that this council is quite willing to spend mega-bucks on what forthright has called ’empire building’, yet is not prepared to spend a minute sum on developing, maintaining, and ensuring that childcare receives its equal share of funding.
To therefore argue that council can’t take from one group to give to another is a total furphy!!! it would appear that all groups are being sacrificed on the alter of stupendous egos that see their legacy as sporting monuments to the detriment of the rest of the community. Do the sums councillors and see what results you get!!!!!!!!!