Huon Valley Council warmly welcomes the Tasmanian Liberal Party’s announcement to fund our planned 200-place Childcare Centre in Huonville, and support of children and family services across the Huon Valley.
This announcement redirects the $8 million previously promised for a new Child and Family Learning Centre (CFLC), during the 2024 State Election. Of this amount, $5 million will help build Council’s new Childcare Centre, matching the federal governments $5 million commitment. The remaining $3 million will be used to upgrade Council facilities to support CFLC outreach services across the Valley.
Council will work closely with local CFLC stakeholders to enable the delivery of these important outreach services from improved Council buildings.
“Council welcomes this approach, maximising the use of existing infrastructure while delivering much-needed services close to home,” said Huon Valley Mayor, Sally Doyle.
According to Victoria University research, Huon Valley is deemed a childcare desert with approximately 0.25 childcare places per child.[1] Huon Valley Council currently provides 70% of childcare services in our region, and we have been strong advocates for further investment in this essential service. This funding will support our young people, working families, and the broader economy.
“With our current Huonville centre ageing and up to 80 families on our waiting list, this funding gives us the certainty to finalise designs and move ahead with building a new centre, co-located with Huonville Primary School. The Council is dedicated to ensuring local families receive the early support they need to thrive. We look forward to starting construction as soon as possible and will share more project details and timelines in the coming weeks,” said Mayor Doyle.
[1] Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute International childcare report: Mapping the deserts.