Helen Haines
Indi · Independent · Australia
“on indulgence I just want to acknowledge the Leader of the House and thank you for considering this in the way of a conversation with us. I think the crossbench has become a large crossbench because of the way that we engage with legislation in a very detailed way and seek to collaborate and seek to improve legislation.”
“I move amendment (4) on sheet 1, revised 30 June 2026, as circulated in my name: (4) Schedule 1, item 92, page 35 (line 31) to page 36 (line 4), omit subsection 25A(2), substitute: (2A) Treatment may not be appropriate treatment for a person's impairment or impairments if the person's individual circumstances restrict the person from acce…”
“(5) Schedule 1, item 97, page 39 (lines 3 to 7), omit subsection 25B(6), substitute: (6) Before making National Disability Insurance Scheme rules declaring that a support is an alternative support for an impairment, the Minister must be satisfied that: (a) it is not appropriate to fund or provide a support for the impairment through the N…”
“My amendment would give them greater clarity about why decisions have been made and how the evidence they've provided has been used. Again, I hear consistently from people in my electorate that they want to understand the 'why'; they truly do.”
“by leave—I move: (6) Schedule 3, page 101 (after line 12), at the end of the Schedule, add: Part 4 — Whistleblower protections National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 18 After subsection 73ZA(2) Insert: (2A) The disclosure of the information by the discloser qualifies for protection under this Division if it is made for the purpose…”
“Now, the government's recently made improvements to NDIS whistleblower protections, and I really welcome those. But I think many Australians, in fact all Australians, would be very surprised to learn that, under this legislation more broadly across the NDIA and NDIS, whistleblowers may not legally be allowed to talk about their own situat…”
The complete record
Every one of 574 lines we hold for Helen Haines, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 12.
“I support this bill because it will help many people facing cost-of-living pressures in my electorate, and it's a step forward to making our Higher Education Loan Program fairer. However, this is just a step. This parliament must act to make higher education affordable, available and accessible to all Australians, regardless of whether they live in a regional area or come from a low-income background or have other barriers to participation. Studying at university or TAFE should not send you broke.”
“I support further reforms to the sector, including to the job-ready graduates program, which has punished students simply because of what they choose to study. While I voted for the bill that implemented the job-ready graduates program because it implemented other important reforms for regional communities, such as the tertiary access payment and regional university study hubs—both of which have been implemented and are going well—I criticised the job-ready graduates program fee structure at the time for its lack of an evidence base. With evidence now showing that Job-ready Graduates has failed to achieve its stated goal, it is more than overdue that we fix this system. Changes like the ones we're debating today will not have their full impact on making higher education more affordable until Job-ready Graduates is addressed.”
“Are we the kind of country that forces students to choose between food and housing or their studies? These are the choices students in Australia are forced to make. It's wrong and fails our next generation of doctors and allied health professionals. One key outstanding recommendation of the Universities Accord review is a new needs based funding model for universities. This model must recognise the added costs of delivering tertiary education in regional areas. Regional universities in my electorate undertake influential research and drive regional employment and economic development, but the status quo is failing them, their staff and their students, and the government must ensure they're set up to succeed.”
“Zac is a dental assistant who's now training to become a dentist in the public health system. He's currently completing a placement six hours away in Bairnsdale. Not only is he paying for rent while on placement; he's unable to earn an income. As he says, 'This burns both ends of the candle.' Gemma in Wangaratta is studying diagnostic radiography and works full-time hours to meet her placement requirements. She completes course work and placement work and has an additional job on the weekends. She's had to relocate for three of her four placements, each costing thousands of dollars. While Gemma is incredibly making it all work, some of her peers are not so fortunate and have had to stop studying because of the pressures of placement requirements.”
“I've made it clear that the government needs to go further and expand prac payments to other areas of study, such as allied health professions and medicine. Last year, I was glad to secure an amendment to ensure a review of the prac payment system is undertaken after three years. This review will specifically look at the possible inclusion of allied health placements. Although I hope that this will happen sooner, it's good that this date is now locked into the calendar. I'm pushing for more paid placements because I hear from so many people having to choose between study or work. Some are even putting their degrees on hold because weeks and months of unpaid placements are simply not an option when there are mortgages, rents and bills to pay. Last week, I heard from Zac, a mature-age student in Wodonga.”
“This bill builds upon reforms made in the previous parliament, such as changes to the indexation of HELP debts. However, there is more work to do. HECS is not fixed yet. I strongly support the member for Kooyong's amendment to change the timing of indexation to deduct compulsory repayments before applying indexation. The current indexation arrangements are unfairly adding thousands of dollars to Australians' debts. It could be fixed and it should be fixed by this government. Another key recommendation of Mary O'Kane's Universities Accord review was the paid prac placement system that's now being rolled out for a small number of degrees. Those studying to be teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers will receive payments while they undertake compulsory work placements in order to earn their qualifications—a welcome and overdue change.”
“For these people and their families, this will of course be welcome relief. Of course, though, not everyone in Indi has studied at TAFE or university, and tertiary attainment rates are indeed low in my electorate by national standards. But the reality is that we all benefit from our higher education system. When university or TAFE is hard to access or out of reach financially, it can lead to exactly the kinds of workforce shortages people in regional electorates such as mine know all too well. Increasing costs and debt burdens are exacerbating existing barriers to study and discouraging young people or midcareer people from choosing to study. So I support this bill because it is getting harder to study—right when we need to be making it easier.”
“The 20 per cent reduction will provide a one-off much needed debt relief, while the changes to the repayment system could make a difference to those balancing their repayments while the cost of living is so high. It will also reduce the rate of repayment for students earning below the average wage. Despite my desire to have more detail about the impacts of the payment threshold changes, I do welcome and support this bill because ensuring that higher education, whether that be at university or at TAFE, is vital to the prosperity of our community, and nowhere more so than in regional Australia. In Indi, there are almost 14,000 people with a HELP debt, with an average level of debt of $21,000. This means that the average student or graduate in Indi will receive a $4,200 reduction if this bill passes the parliament.”
“Second, the bill will increase the repayment threshold so that students will only start to pay their debt off when they're earning more than $67,000, instead of the previous $56,000. Third, the bill makes changes so that repayments are only made on the income earned above the $67,000 repayment threshold and not on the first $67,000 of income. I note that there is not broad agreement on whether the changes to repayment thresholds are absolutely 100 per cent the right way to go in balancing the cost-of-living pressures and sustainable ways to pay off HELP debts. The changes in this bill will benefit some, but may not benefit all, and we don't know the full impact. This is complicated, and the government has stifled debate on this bill, meaning these matters can't be fully explored in detail.”
“This exacerbates workforce shortages in our regional communities, limits economic opportunities for individuals and their families and can worsen health and social outcomes. It's clear that, as a country, we need more people to undertake higher education, but it's also clear that the significant cost-of-living barriers are preventing people from taking up the opportunities that higher education brings to both them and the wider community, which brings us to the bill before us in the House today. The Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025 makes three key changes to the higher education loan, or HELP program—also known as HECS. First, it will provide a 20 per cent reduction of loan balances for all students, regardless of the size of their debt.”
“Where higher education was once a specialised path for few, today it is required by so many jobs in our society. The landmark Universities Accord review, released in early 2024 and led by Professor Mary O'Kane, concluded that we need to increase the tertiary education attainment rate from the current 60 per cent to 80 per cent of Australians who are in the workforce by 2050. This is a nation-building task. The review makes it clear that we will not achieve this goal and thus fail to unlock the full potential of our workforce and our economy if we don't increase higher education participation rates, especially for disadvantaged groups. One of these groups is people living in regional Australia. Across most of rural, regional and remote Australia, educational attainment rates fall well below those in the major cities.”
“I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025. This bill will provide welcome debt relief to many people and make changes to the repayment of student debts. I support this bill because I know that higher education is essential to the success and prosperity of our country and particularly to people in our regions. At this point, though, I want to note that this speech is a statement on the bill and not part of the substantive debate, as the bill has already been passed. The Leader of the House has indicated to me and the House that this practice is unlikely to be repeated. It's important for our democracy that the government holds to that, and I certainly intend to hold the government to that.”
“Contributors to the inquiry recognised the vital role of horizontal equalisation in providing a level playing field, and most describe the current design as failing to achieve that goal. Third, there should be efforts to address skill shortages by increasing programs to improve labour availability, such as incentivising local council workers to relocate to regional, rural and remote areas. I hope to continue to work collaboratively with the minister and the department to see this report acted upon for the benefit of my communities and for the benefit of all rural, regional and remote Australians, who rely so heavily on their local councils to truly thrive.”
“Wangaratta and Murrindindi councils gave evidence at a hearing at Wallan, which the committee found incredibly compelling. I thank them for their contribution. The interim report referred to in the member for Mallee's motion includes invaluable comments that I agree should direct this government in its work in this term of parliament. I will name just three, but there are many more. First, there should be a review of the financial assistance grants program, including whether minimum grants should be restored to one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue. This review should also explore ways to improve the delivery of grants, including the requirement of fixed co-contributions and short delivery timeframes. Second, the allocation of grants should be consistent with horizontal equalisation.”
“I want to thank my committee colleagues, particularly the committee chair, the member for Solomon, and the deputy chair, the member for Barker, for their engagement, interest and understanding of the issues facing regional communities like mine and for their hard work in putting together the comprehensive interim report. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the secretariat for their guidance, hard work and logistical support. This 12-month inquiry saw the committee travel across the length and breadth of Australia to hear from local governments. I want to thank everyone who gave evidence and made a written submissions. Indi local councils, including the City of Wodonga, the Rural City of Wangaratta, Mansfield Shire and Indigo Shire, made submissions to the inquiry.”
“For regional and rural councils like those in Indi, it's a real challenge to raise revenue through rates and other means. Grants are not always distributed equitably and often require a financial co-contribution that rural councils simply don't have. As a member of the previous parliament's House of Representative Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport, I welcomed this inquiry to examine the financial sustainability and service delivery obligations of local governments. We looked at the changing infrastructure and service delivery role of local councils and the obstacles in delivering this, the trend in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce and the role of the Australian federal government in addressing these issues.”
“As an MP, I've come to understand that local councils are not just about rates, rubbish and roads. Make no mistake, though; these remain important services. But as population shifts, community needs shift, resulting in local council services becoming increasingly diverse and complex—health care, aged care, child care, enabling infrastructure for houses, climate adaptation and emergency management to name but a few. Councils are also managing ageing assets that are integral to the wellbeing and general functioning of our communities—bridges, roads, community buildings and more. What I hear time and time again from mayors, councillors and CEOs is that, as the roles and responsibilities of councils have evolved and increased, their budgets have not. More than ever, we are asking councils to do more with less.”
“I thank the member for Mallee for this motion. In the 47th Parliament, I was proud to be a member of the regional development, infrastructure and transport committee and participate in our inquiry into local government sustainability. In Indi, we have nine local governments or councils. They look after communities of all shapes and sizes, from forests to farms, big cities, small villages and everything in between. Since being elected as the Independent member for Indi, I've worked closely with each of them. In addition to twice-yearly roundtables I hold with all the mayors and CEOs of Indi's nine councils and the extensive work my office does with them on the annual Indi budget submission, I'm always on the phone to them or hitting the road to visit their patch.”
“I thank the member, and I implore the government to get on with this and look at this particular intervention as a really positive step forward.”
“Everybody loses. I'm really pleased to hear about the Plus Paternal funding that the member just discussed. But I'd like to say that a father-inclusive model of antenatal care could start with one key policy intervention. Our first step should be the introduction of Medicare-listed mental health checkups for expecting fathers. This could be done without delay. In fact, the UK introduced a similar model all the way back in 2018. Improving men's health and therefore the health of their relationships and the prospects of their children will not be solved by a single intervention. The mental health system is woefully under resourced as it is, and allocating resources to early mental health interventions is a broader goal. This is particularly the case in rural and regional Australia.”
“These men were exposed vicariously to health professionals on many occasions, but the opportunity to engage with them was missed. This is largely because the pregnancy period in Australia is still seen as just women's business. These days we talk about fatherhood as if it were a partnership—a sort of joint experience with the mother during pregnancy, birth and parenting—but this is not the experience of most people. Instead, when men encounter the healthcare system during pregnancy, they overwhelmingly report feeling peripheral at best or marginalised and excluded at worst. This is despite data showing men generally want to be more involved during the pregnancy process. The sidelining of men during pregnancy not only misses a chance at early mental health intervention but exacerbates the gendered nature of parenthood once kids arrive.”
“The pregnancy period, with its many health check-ups and pre-birth classes, rightly focuses on women. However, it presents an excellent opportunity to engage men about their own health as well as that of their expectant partners. But we're missing this opportunity. In my former life as a rural health researcher, I conducted a large population study in Sweden and found that men with feelings of fear about the forthcoming birth of their children had barely engaged with prenatal services—and when they did they received scant recognition from the health system. When I replicated this research in regional Victoria, I found the same thing: most men were never asked about their health when attending an antenatal health check-up with their partner, nor did they consider reporting their psychological concerns to their usual GP.”
“Much like women, the impending birth of a child forces a man to adjust to a change in his perception of himself, the perception of others and the real or perceived pressures of supporting a new family. This unaddressed mental health strain on men affects their partners, too. Disturbingly, pregnancy is the most likely period for a woman to experience domestic violence for the very first time and for it to escalate for women who have already experienced violence. Yet we do very little as a society to support men's health during their partners' pregnancies. Men are far less likely than women to access health care in general, and, even if they do, they're more likely than women to focus on physical problems and less likely to disclose mental and emotional distress.”
“When a man becomes a father, his physical and emotional health directly impacts his children's health—especially in the early years. Yet despite an established system of prenatal care for expectant women, fathers are not included in any systemic health surveillance during the prenatal early parenting period. This is a missed opportunity for men and their families. Pregnancy is a major stressor on the mental health of expectant fathers. It's well known that around 14 to 16 per cent of new mothers will experience postnatal depression but less well known that between five and 10 per cent of fathers will, too. Research has shown the pregnancy period can be more stressful for men than the period after a child is born.”
“I thank the member for Hunter for this motion and congratulate him on his new role as the Special Envoy for Men's Health; I can't think of a better person to do it. Like the member for Hunter, and, I'm sure, all the speakers here today—and I think I'm the only woman, so please forgive me—I want to see the Australian government and Australian society generally do much better when it comes to recognising the health challenges men face, particularly when it comes to mental health. In my life before coming to this place I worked as a midwife, nurse and public health researcher. The mental health of new fathers in particular is something I've paid close attention to, and I'm going to focus on that today. The health of Australian men often lags behind that of women. This is a problem not just for men.”
“My question is to the Minister for Defence. Analysis released by the Centre for Public Integrity shows there's been an alarming deterioration in transparency under the Labor government. There is a lack of transparency around Australian manufacture of weapons and weapons parts and trade with Israel. This makes it difficult to understand whether Australia is complicit in breaches of international humanitarian law in Palestine. Minister, can you guarantee Australia is not complicit in war crimes in Gaza?”
“I second this motion, and I think that the member for Warringah has outlined very clearly the dilemma that we have for changing the workplace culture in this parliament. What the public see is not what happens in our committees or in our corridors or across the parliament where the code of behaviour does apply. I made reference to this yesterday in my speech commending the Speaker to the position that you hold. This is the kind of amendment that gives the Speaker the tools that the Speaker needs to improve the behaviour in the parliament that will improve the respect that is shown to members and will be in alignment with modern workplace culture across this nation.”
“This is no token gesture from this Speaker. This is structural reform. It will bring young Australians right into the democratic process—not just to learn but to lead. To the new members of this House I say you are in very good hands with this Speaker. This Speaker brings openness, humanity, integrity and real dignity to the speakership. He has upheld the rules, and I'm confident he will continue to uphold the rules. He has respected the parliament and he has helped restore respect for the parliament among the people that we serve. I commend him wholeheartedly and congratulate him on his re-election, and I wish him the very, very best from all of us in this chamber but most especially from the crossbench.”
“I think other members have commented about the specialness of the schools in their electorate, but I would say that, for the Speaker, perhaps these were the coldest locations that he had visited. He met with students there who had lived through bushfires and who live in isolation. He talked with them, not to them, and he talked about their place in democracy. I'm sorry to say, for the Speaker, that, in the electorate of Indi, and most particularly in Marysville and Buxton, they were not fans of pineapple on pizza and they were not to be persuaded that the Speaker was from Queensland—no kowtowing from Indi. As we've heard today, this Speaker has visited more than 160 schools across our vast nation, and under his leadership, for the very first time in Australia's history, we will have a national youth parliament.”
“How the Speaker applies those standing orders—how they define and act on disrespectful behaviour—sets the culture of this House, and it's my experience that this Speaker has upheld those standards with fairness, with consistency, with impartiality and strength and with a willingness to challenge what have been entrenched behaviours. Finally, I draw the attention of the House to something that many others have said this morning, and that is his commitment to young people in civics education. In fact, I think it's fair to say that this Speaker is something of a cult hero to many young people across Australia. Last year, he travelled to the remote alpine towns of Marysville and Buxton in my electorate of Indi.”
“The Jenkins review was a landmark review in recognising the need for cultural reform in the parliamentary workplace, and under this Speaker's leadership this parliament has implemented key reforms: the establishment of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, the rollout of improved induction and training for all members and staff, and a clear and consistent focus on safety, respect and accountability. But we must also be clear. The Jenkins review did not address how members behave in this chamber. That's governed by standing orders and enforced by the Speaker.”
“In fact, of effectiveness, I might say that this Speaker could well add something very special to the Treasurer's forthcoming productivity roundtable. In the last parliament, unrecorded by Hansard but audible to those who listened carefully, this Speaker was heard to remark, in a particularly noisy question time one day, that he could effect a swifter use of standing order 94(a) if the Speaker's chair were fitted with an ejector button! It's an excellent idea. It's one the Treasurer, and perhaps the House as a whole, should consider—and I must say for someone who loves Instagram, as this Speaker does, it would make an excellent Instagram post! But, members, the seriousness of this role is not lost on this Speaker, especially when it comes to the culture of this place.”
“You've invited volunteers and school groups in, and you've taken the time to explain the role of Speaker with warmth and with clarity. I've seen that personally. You've welcomed many volunteers from my office into your office. You've shared your time generously and given these volunteers a rare and exciting glimpse into this part of the building that so few Australians ever receive. Members, this Speaker brings something else to the role, in the fine tradition of the greatest Speakers in the Westminster system: a wonderful sense of humour. It is the hallmark of a truly great Speaker. When things get heated in here, as they often do, this Speaker can cut through with a smile, with a wry look—and with an excellent raise of the eyebrow! This Speaker reminds us all that leadership doesn't have to be loud to be effective.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise to congratulate you as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and it's an honour to do so on behalf of the crossbench. It is the highest office in this chamber and one that you have shown yourself to be truly worthy of. When you were first elected to be the Speaker, you said your door would always be open, and I want to place on record that that has absolutely been the case. You have been available to members across the chamber, as we've heard from the member for Lalor and the member for Riverina. You've been available for advice, for guidance and for counsel—and at times you've had the humility to ask for counsel yourself. Just as importantly, you've opened the door to the Australian public. During your term as Speaker you've hosted frequent events in the Speaker's office, as we've heard.”
“My question is to the Treasurer. In yesterday's budget there was no new funding for the Growing Regions Program or the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, the two grant programs that fund critical infrastructure in regional Australia. There was $1 billion of funding announced for roads in Victoria, but this was for Melbourne's suburbs. Why is there so little new funding for infrastructure in regional Australia?”
“I acknowledge the Albury and Wodonga mayors met with the Victorian Minister for Health only yesterday but were disappointed in the outcome of the meeting. The case was clear in 2021, and it's still clear in 2025. We need a greenfield single-site hospital on the border. The states can't deliver this alone, and the Commonwealth government must come to the table.”
“In 2022, the Victorian government committed up to $675 million to build a new greenfield hospital in West Gippsland to service 60,000 people. Why then would the state governments only allocate $225 million each to our region of 300,000 people? Our worries were confirmed. A letter sent from Albury Wodonga Health's chief executive and chair to the state health ministers was revealed. It stated that the $558 million 'will not deliver the government's policy intent of a single-site hospital'. It's not just about the money. There isn't enough land on the intended site to build a bigger hospital with more theatres, more beds and enough car parking in an area with virtually no public transport.”
“In 2021, future challenges were recognised when Albury Wodonga Health's C linical services plan found splitting service delivery across two campuses created significant risks to patient safety. It recommended in black and white that Albury Wodonga Health should and must consolidate services to a single site. In October 2022, just prior to two state elections, the New South Wales and Victorian premiers flew into Albury and announced $558 million to redevelop the current Albury hospital. I cautiously welcomed this announcement. I didn't want to let the perfect get in the way of the good. But we know now this announcement is nowhere near good and nowhere near enough. In 2018, the New South Wales government spent $723 million to build Tweed Valley Hospital for a catchment size similar to ours.”
“Regional Australians experience worse health outcomes and lower life expectancy than those in metropolitan Australia. This inequity has persisted for generations, and it is entirely unacceptable. This is why I will never ever stop fighting for a greenfield single-site hospital at Albury-Wodonga. Albury Wodonga Health is the largest health service between Sydney and Melbourne and the only cross-border health service in the country, and it's stretched across two separate hospital campuses. As the population on the border grows, Albury Wodonga Health is only going to get busier. By 2040, we will need a hospital capable of handling 150,000 emergency presentations, 40,000 surgeries and 1,900 births every single year.”
“We must also change the Community Child Care Fund to a demand-driven program that means that regional and remote communities don't have to compete in competitive funding rounds just to keep their vital childcare services and centres open.”
“But I want to make sure this doesn't happen again, and I call on the government to move the program from a competitive grant process to a demand-driven non-competitive system. This would mean all providers that can prove that they require government support should receive government support. This bill alone is not enough. It's simply one step among many that we must take if we're to truly fix our childcare system in Australia. I urge the government and the coalition to do more when it comes to fixing the childcare deserts in regional communities like mine. Doubling the Building Early Education Fund grants to $1 billion would be a jolly good start.”
“This is funding that supports care outside school hours in places like Yackandandah, Whitfield, Greta, Benalla, Moyhu, Mount Beauty and Rutherglen. Some of these services have received this funding for more than a decade, and to lose it so suddenly has come as a shock to principals, families, educators and businesses. I met with the minister as soon as my office discovered the extent of the issue, and I subsequently asked the minister in question time what the government is doing to ensure that these services in my electorate don't close. I made it absolutely clear that we could not lose the services. It would hurt these rural communities. Fortunately, I've now helped to secure emergency funding for five of these services, and I thank the minister's department for the response to the collapse in funding in my electorate.”
“If this government are serious about making childcare universal, they cannot do it without regional Australia. Report after report is clear that to grow access to child care in regional Australia, you must invest in supply, and you must invest in the workforce. So, as the government rolls out funds under the BEEF, I will be watching closely to ensure that it is distributed fairly, because this government have a shaky record with previous programs delivering childcare funding. The Community Child Care Fund supports providers with operational expenses to keep their doors open, particularly areas that are disadvantaged—regional and remote and Indigenous communities. But the fourth round of the Community Child Care Fund saw 75 per cent of funding disappear from my electorate of Indi.”
“They are calling on the coalition to support the BEEF, but it's a mystery why they won't. If they truly supported regional Australia, as they claim, the National Party—and I have the minister right here—would be calling for it to be beefed up even further. The $500 million for the grants to build or expand services will deliver only a 1.7 per cent increase in childcare places nationwide. This is hardly going to shift the dial for Indi, and it won't meaningfully address existing shortages, let alone the increased demand that will result from the bill before us now. I want to see the BEEF deliver more for regional areas, and I urge the government and the coalition, for that matter, to commit to doubling the BEEF grants to $1 billion. This would be an investment in our children's future commensurate to the scale of the challenge before us.”
“I acknowledge the government have made a start in all these areas. Late last year, the parliament passed a 15 per cent wage rise for early educators, and the bill before us is a long-awaited measure to ensure more families can access subsidised child care, making it much more affordable. The government have also started to tackle the infrastructure problem by announcing a $1 billion Building Early Education Fund, the BEEF, to build more than 160 new childcare centres and deliver 12,000 additional places in areas of shortage. The BEEF includes $500 million in grants for not-for-profit childcare providers and state and local governments to establish new services and increase the capacity of existing services. The National Farmers Federation backs the government's Building Early Education Fund because regional towns will need it the most.”
“Next door to Alpine is Indigo Shire Council, which is also asking for support for the Beechworth Early Years Hub to build a modern kindergarten and childcare facility in Beechworth to address significant service demand and infrastructure challenges. What all these stories show is that we simply do not have enough supply of childcare places in regional Australia. While I support changes to the childcare subsidy that make care more affordable for families, it simply won't benefit people in my electorate if they can't access care in the first place. Like me, the government recognises there is no silver bullet to fixing our childcare deserts, and that's why we must focus on increasing supply in the regions, growing the workforce and supporting the viability and sustainability of existing services.”
“Local governments are stepping in to fill the gap but are being hamstrung by the increasing cost of providing high-quality care and the cost of building the infrastructure needed to run a childcare centre. Alpine Shire Council in my electorate is currently seeking funding to redevelop the Myrtleford Mountain View Children's Centre, which is currently unfit for purpose with insufficient capacity. They want to redevelop the centre to increase capacity to 160 childcare places, which would have an enormously positive impact for families on the waiting list as this small town and its surrounds continue to grow.”
“She says: Twice a week, I drive 50 kilometres—about 40 minutes each way—to Yarrawonga. I study at the library in Yarrawonga while my son is at daycare, as the driving time and cost would add up if I returned to Wangaratta. Day in, day out, Amy is having to make hard decisions about cost and time versus care and connection, and, like with so many families, Amy is pushed to the brink of burnout because her family cannot access the child care they need. I'm also hearing from childcare providers who are trying to solve these problems and make child care more available. This includes local governments, which are increasingly taking on the role of providing child care in regional towns because the private market is failing.”
“Keep in mind that in Wodonga there are 2.4 children for every available childcare place. Because extra care could not be found, Hannah had to reduce her work to four days a week. Like with many couples, Hannah earns less than her male partner. Therefore, they made the decision that she will work part time instead of him. So Hannah's income has been reduced by 20 per cent each every week. She is missing out on 20 per cent of her superannuation. This is why we need childcare systems that work for all of us, but especially for mothers. I hear from mums driving their children 20, 40 or 60 kilometres to neighbouring towns just so they can find a centre with availability. In Wangaratta, Amy is studying to be a nurse. There are not enough childcare places in Wangaratta to accommodate her son.”
“Megan has been waiting more than two years for a childcare place to become available at her nearest centre in Wangaratta. When my office spoke to her yesterday, she said she's actually given up on finding a spot near home and, instead, is driving her daughter to Benalla—an hour round trip—twice a day. Not having a childcare place for parents, especially women and mothers, has detrimental career and income impacts. Hannah in Wodonga had attained high standing in her profession—and a mortgage. When she and her husband had their first child, they'd prepared as best they could and put themselves on waiting lists in the early stages of pregnancy. So you can imagine their shock when the time came to go back to work and they could only get care three days a week.”