Chris Oldfield, Naracoorte Community News

The lack of child care for around 50 families on a waiting list at Kingston has been raised in the Australian Federal Parliament.

“Those in this chamber have heard me speak about Kingston South East and a lack of childcare services before,” Member for Barker Tony Pasin told parliament.

“It’s a town with less than 2,000 people, but it’s a town with a big need for increased child care, with around 50 families currently on the waiting list.”

He highlighted the Kingston District Council had made an application for funding to a government agency following the devastating Keilira bushfire.

But the application to establish a standalone childcare service for the community had been rejected by the National Recovery and Resilience Agency.

Mr Pasin told parliament: “I haven’t been backwards in coming forward about my disappointment with that outcome.

“A farming region devastated by fire, and parents unable to earn off-farm income because there was no childcare service available.

“While the agency might not feel this is an important issue, I’ve got to tell you that I certainly do.”

Mr Pasin told parliament that families deserved access to quality child care regardless of where they lived.

He praised the government’s $19.4 million expenditure to support the establishment of 20 new childcare services, and pledged to continue fighting for a service at Kingston.

Mr Pasin’s statement in its entirety can be found in Hansard.

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.