HANSARD EXTRACT
| Statements
by Members: Bambi Kindergarten |
| 31 May 2005 |
Mr HAYES
(Werriwa)
(4.12
p.m.)—Child
care is a significant issue in our community, an issue of concern to
families and an issue that impacts on workplaces. Not
unsurprisingly, it is an issue that constituents of my electorate of
Werriwa are also concerned about. I bring this issue to the
attention of members not simply to pass comment on the government’s
child-care policies but to draw the attention of members to the case
of the Bambi Kindergarten in Ingleburn. Bambi Kindergarten is a
not-for-profit preschool run by the community and established in
1952. It is currently facing eviction because the land on which it
stands has been allocated by the Department of Defence to the new
Edmondson Park development. The Bambi Kindergarten was established
by the wives of soldiers serving in Korea. It acted as a support
centre for families as well as an early childhood education centre.
Edmondson Park development is not new and I do not stand here today
objecting to it. I object to the actions taken by the Department of
Defence, in being unwilling to secure some land within the
development to retain this facility. I toured the facility in my
by-election campaign and was informed by the kindergarten that on
several occasions they had been provided with verbal assurances that
the land would be secure and the lease renewed.
Sadly, this facility is far from secure as the department has backed
away from these assurances. Bambi Kindergarten has recently been
offered a further, but final, annual lease. Needless to say, this
news was received poorly. It left the management, staff and current
users of the facility, as well as the community, generally
questioning this government’s commitment to the provision of child
care. Through the shadow minister for defence and homeland security,
the Minister for Defence has been approached to consider options
such as gifting the land and allowing the kindergarten to remain or
assisting the kindergarten to secure alternative accommodation. To
date, I have yet to receive a response from the minister.
This kindergarten has a unique historical association with
Australia’s
defence community. I encourage the minister to intervene to make
sure that it can continue to provide high-quality child-care
services to the people of Prestons, Horningsea Park, Macquarie
Links, Ingleburn and of course Edmondson Park. Child-care places are
scarce enough. Why exacerbate the situation by closing down a
facility with 200 child-care places per week, a facility that
provides affordable child-care services and that has served the
community for well over 50 years?
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