Council moves on childcare shortage

Waverley Council has moved to combat the severe shortage of childcare facilities in the precinct with the opening of the brand new Mill Hill Centre in Bondi Junction.

But former Mayor John Wakefield said Council needed to do more to rectify the problem.

“In the last four years, I had the mayoralty for one year and Councillor Sally Betts from the Liberals had three,” Cr Wakefield said. “In those three years, she did nothing about this issue.

“Many Liberals do not believe the public sector should provide childcare. They believe only the private sector should provide it.”

Mr Wakefield said many Liberal councillors hold this belief, despite the fact Waverley Council is already the biggest childcare service provider in the area.

“There is no better organisation, private or public, than Council to provide services in childcare because of the property the Council owns, and the management experience it has in the provision of childcare,” he said.

“All we can do from my minority position – an opposition position – is to remind her (Sally Betts) of the outstanding issues of the Council.”

The Mill Hill Centre was opened in late October by Council aided by funding from the Federal Government.

Mayor Sally Betts said the centre is one step towards meeting the demand for childcare services in the suburb.

“This will not cure the problem, but it will certainly help,” she said.

“It has always been a Waverley Council policy to increase childcare, which is why we went into building this early childhood centre. I don’t believe it is a political issue … I believe all sides of politics in Waverley have always had the same view that we need more childcare.”

Ms Betts said it was lucky for Council to have received federal funding to complete the Mill Hill Centre. But she maintained Council is not in a position to build another childcare centre unless it enters into partnership with a private organisation, or receives more federal funding.

“We will certainly work with other organisations to see how we can increase childcare services in Waverley,” she said.