Council’s concerns of the ever-increasing number of new childcare centres in residential areas

On 22 February 2021, the City of Parramatta Council agreed to invite the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW to present to them to help them understand the state of demand versus supply of early childhood education and care services, and advise what options that Council could have to address the problem [of childcare oversupply].

Since the NSW Government’s introduction of its State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) (Educational Establishments and Child Care Facilities) 2017, ACA NSW had been engaging many affected councils including the City of Parramatta Council (in March 2019), alerting them of that SEPP’s unintended consequences of increasing supply to the point of arguably childcare oversupply.

As part of the Review of the SEPP, the NSW Minister for Planning has effectively conceded that the SEPP has a number of flaws, and has for example proposed to restore local councils’ powers to introduce proximity requirements of new childcare services to existing ones.

Nevertheless, ACA NSW’s submission in December 2020 to the Review of the SEPP identifies the necessity for further significant changes. And ACA NSW will continue to seek the support of as many NSW local governments as possible.

The following is the 2021 schedule of ACA NSW’s engagements with key NSW local governments:

• Lane Cove Council – 7.00 pm, Monday, 15 February 2021
• Hills Shire Council – 7.00 pm, Tuesday, 9 March 2021
• North Sydney Council – 7.30 pm, Monday, 22 March 2021
• Northern Beaches Council – 6.00 pm, Tuesday, 23 March 2021
• Coffs Harbour City Council – 5.00 pm, Thursday, 25 March 2021
• Willoughby Council – 7.00 pm, Monday, 12 April 2021    
• City of Parramatta Council – 6.30 pm, Monday, 26 April 2021
• Newcastle City Council – 7.00 pm, Tuesday, 27 April 2021
• Hills Shire Council – 7.00 pm, Tuesday, 11 May 2021
• City of Sydney Council – 5.00 pm, Monday, 17 May 2021
• Northern Beaches Council – 6.00 pm, 25 May 2021
• Coffs Harbour City Council – 5.00 pm, Thursday, 24 June 2021
• North Sydney Council – 7.30 pm, Monday, 28 June 2021
• Newcastle City Council – 7.00 pm, Tuesday. 29 June 2021
• Central Coast Council – 6.30 pm. Monday, 19 July 2021
• Willoughby Council – 7.00 pm, Monday, 2 August 2021
• City of Sydney Council – 5.00 pm, Monday, 16 August 2021

Should ACA NSW members require any further information/clarification, please contact the ACA NSW office on 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.

PUBLISHED: 2 MARCH 2021