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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 456 asked in the Legislative Council on 18 May 2022 by Hon Wilson Tucker

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

HOUSING — AVAILABILITY — CHILDCARE WORKERS

456. Hon WILSON TUCKER to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Housing:

I refer to reports of early childcare and after-school care staffing shortages in the Kimberley, particularly the limited places at Broome Daycare Centre and Indigo Montessori Child Care and Kindy in Broome, and the suspension of after-school care at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Kununurra.

(1) Is the minister aware that a lack of affordable housing in the Kimberley is attributed as a cause of the childcare worker shortage?

(2) Does the government provide any housing support to childcare workers relocating to the Kimberley?

(3) Will the minister make vacant Government Regional Officer Housing properties available to childcare workers relocating to the Kimberley?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied;

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1)–(3) Government Regional Officer Housing—GROH—properties are provided to state government client agencies to ensure that regional communities have access to critical state government workers, such as teachers and police officers. Childcare workers are not employees of a client agency; however, they are classified as key workers and may seek housing assistance through their employer. In January, the McGowan government delivered $1 million in grant funding to boost early childhood education and care services in regional Western Australia. The grant funding is being made available over four years to assist local governments to attract and retain staff, which will in turn help providers offer more childcare places and allow parents and carers to return to work. Payments of up to $25 000 are available for individual local government authorities to deliver a range of initiatives to attract and retain childcare workers in the regions, including through subsidised accommodation, relocation costs, intrastate travel and training and professional development.