Annie Sage Child Care Centre: future
09-February-2011
Mr BURGESS (Hastings) -- Tonight I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Local Government. Specifically I seek the assistance of the minister to obtain access to the consultant's report prepared for the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council which was the basis for council's decision to close the Annie Sage Child Care Centre in Somerville. The Annie Sage Child Care Centre comes under the auspices of the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. Local parents were notified formally by the council in a letter dated 6 January 2011 that the centre was to be closed later this year. Within days of receiving the first of a very large number of letters from parents expressing their shock, dismay and bitter disappointment at council's decision, I met with Robin Adams, manager, child, youth and family care, and Joe Cauchi, director, sustainable communities, at the council. At that meeting Mr Adams indicated that the decision to close the centre had been based on advice received in a report from consultants.
I made it clear that I believe council's attempt to shut down this very important and respected child-care centre is a serious mistake and that I would be helping the community fight it in any way possible. I am particularly critical of council's complete failure to consult with the parents who will be affected by this closure. While council officers agreed to a belated meeting with parents and eventually to delay closure for six months, it was far too little, far too late. Without any community consultation, not even with the major stakeholder, how could council possibly make an informed decision? For example, how could council understand just how important it is to the families who use the centre that the staff are able to walk the children next door to the kindergarten?
It is this aspect of the centre that enables many parents to earn the living that is so necessary for the financial survival of their families.
Council officers claim to have based their recommendation to council to close the centre on recommendations contained in the consultant's report. However, I have reason to believe that the option of closing the centre was just one of a number of options put forward in the report. I therefore formally requested a copy of the report. Council refused my request on the basis of the report being commercial in confidence. Council officers claim they decided to keep the proposal to close the centre from the parents and families who relied on it because they were concerned that if parents found out, they may stop using the centre. Both the logic of this reasoning and the principle behind it seem to be flawed.
Council has made a decision that has significantly changed the circumstances of a large number of families and could leave them materially disadvantaged, yet it refuses to submit to scrutiny the evidence upon which this decision was made.
The community is very concerned that its council has made a decision that may well have been based on inadequate or flawed information and that there is no forum or avenue to ascertain whether that is the case and, if that is so, to revisit the decision. Other aspects of the report may have provided a more positive outcome for the community, which strongly supports the current service being continued.