It ' v U TRA A
PRIME M
EMBARGOED UN IL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
OPENING OF RAINBOW STREET CHILD CARE CENTRE
SYDNEY 13 FEB3UARY 1987
FEDERAL AND STATE LABOR GOVERNMENT COLLEAGUES,
MAYOR OF RANDWICK,
ALDERMAN SCUE. LION,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GE NTLEMEN.
IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE EERE TODAY TO OPEN THE RAINBOW
STREET CHILD CARE CENTRE. WE ARE CELEBRATING A HISTORIC
OCCASION TODAY, FOR THE RAINBOW STREET CHILD CARE CENTRE IS
THE 100TH CU27LD CARE CENTRE COMPLETED UNDER THE CO-OPERATIVE
PROGRAM Bt4EN THE COMMONWEALTH AND NSW GOVERNMENTS.
WITH EVERY 2,; ILD CARE CENTRE THAT IS OPENED, ANOTHER STEP IS
TAKEN TOWARD3 ACHIEVING A NUMBER OF MY GOVERNMENT'S MOST
IMPORTANT POLICY GOALS: EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR
WOMEN, SUPPORT FOR THE WELL BEING OF AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN,
AND SUPPORT ! OR THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS CENTRE ALSO ILLUSTRATES THE ACTIVE SUPPORT FOR CHILD
CARE WHICH EXISTS AT ALL THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. I HAVE
MENTIONED TAE CO-OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE
COMMONWEALTH AND NSW GOVERNMENTS, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I
FAILED TO PAY TRIBUTE ALSO TO THE RANDWICK MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
WHICH SPONSORS THE RAINBOW STREET CENTRE AND TWO OTHER CHILD
CARE CENTRES IN THE RANDWICK LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
WHEN MY GOVERNMENT CAME TO OFFICE THE COMMONWEALTH FUNDED
ONLY 46,000 CHILD CARE PLACES. BY JUNE 1988 WE WILL HAVE
APPROVED AND FUNDED A TOTAL OF 60,000 NEW PLACES MORE THAN
HAVE BEEN FUNDED BY ALL PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS COMBINED.
IN THE LAST YEAR OF THE FRASER GOVERNMENT $ 65 MILLION WAS
SPENT ON CH2LD CARE. THIS FINANCIAL YEAR MY GOVERNMENT IS
SPENDING JUST UNDER $ 200 MILLION FOR CHILD CARE.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST A QUESTION OF INCREASING THE RAW RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO CHILD CARE.
WE HAVE ALSC TRIED TO PROMOTE A MIX OF SERVICES IN RESPONSE
TO THE VARIETY OF CHILD CARE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
IN PROVIDING FUN4DING FOR LONG DAY CARE WE HAVE RESPONDED TO
THE NEEDS OF PARENTS WHO WORK OR WHO ARE SEEKING WORK. WE
HAVE DONE MORE TO PROVIDE CHILD CARE TO SUPPORT WORKING
WOMEN THAN ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT HAS.
WE ARE ALSO EXPANDING SERVICES WHICH ASSIST PARENTS WHO STAY
AT HOME WITH CHILDREN. BY JUNE 1988 WE WILL HAVE
ESTABLISHED AN ADDITIONAL 3,000 OCCASIONAL CARE PLACES TO
PROVIDE THESE CAILDREN A FEW HOURS OF CARE A WEEK OUT OF
THEIR HOMES.
AND IN BUILDING CHILD CARE CENTRZS LIKE THIS ONE AT RAINBOW
STREET WE ARE ,) ISPLAYING OUR DETER1INATION TO ENSURE MAXIMUM
ACCESS TO CHILD CARE SERVICES BY PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM MOST.
RANDWICK HAS 13-: ZN IDENTIFIED BY "" HE NSW STATE PLANNING
COMMITTEE AS DZING IN HIGH NEED OF CHILD CARE FACILITIES.
AS WELL AS RAIN3OW STREET, THREE OTHER CHILD CARE CENTRES
HAVE BEEN APPROVED IN THE RANDWICK LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
UNDER THE CCil . HWEALTH/ STATE PLAN.
WE ALSO TRY TO -NSURE THAT CHILD CARE IS AFFORDABLE BY LOW
AND MODERATE INCOME EARNERS. UNDER A FEE RELIEF SYSTEM, THE
GOVERNMENT'S CONTRIBUTION FOR A SINGLE CHILD CARE PLACE CAN
RISE FROM AN AVERAGE OF $ 35 A WEEK TO AS MUCH AS $ 90 A WEEK.
IT'S CLEAR X THINK THAT THE COMHONWEALTH AND NSW HAVE A GOOD
RECORD IN WORA-NG TOGETHER TO INCREASE THE PROVISION OF
CHILD CARE.
NSW WAS NOT CNLY THE FIRST STATE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN WHAT
WE KNOW AS THE COMMONWEALTH/ STATE CO-OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
BUT ACTUALLY SUGGESTED, BACK IN 1982, THAT THE STATE AND
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENTS WORK TOGETHER TO SHARE THE COSTS OF
CONSTRUCTING CHILD CARE CENTRES. BY JUNE 1988 THE NUMBER OF
CHILD CARE CENTRES IN NSW WILL HAVE RISEN TO 177
REPRESENTING NORE THAN 7000 ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE PLACES.
ALL THESE FIGURES SHOW CLEARLY THAT CHILD CARE IS A COSTLY
SCHEME. BUT IT IS EQUALLY CLEAR THAT THE CENTRES WE ARE
ESTABLISHING FULFILL A VERY REAL NEED IN THE COMMUNITY. WE
ARE PROUD OF OUR RECORD SO FAR AND I WANT TO STATE WE WILL
NOT BE DETERRED FROM CONTINUING TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT
POSSIBLE TO NEZT WHAT ARE PRESSING AND WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY
NEEDS. I WANT IN CLOGZNG TO SINGLE OUT THE NAMES OF THREE PEOPLE
FOR SPECIAL THANKS.
FIRST, SINCE THE RAINBOW STREET CHILD CARE CENTRE HAS BEEN
OPERATING SINCE 1 SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, I WANT TO
CONGRATULATE ANNE MXZON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE, AND HER
STAFF, ON THE PLEASANT AND CREATIVE ATMOSPHERE THAT IS
APPARENT HERE.
SECOND, I WANT TO RECOGNISE THE CONTRIBUTION MADE TO RAINBOW
STREET AND INDEED TO THE ENTIRE FEDERAL ELECTORATE OF
PHILLIP BY YOUR LOCAL MEMBER, JEANETTE MCHUGH. SHE IS A
VERY ARTICULATE AND VERY DETERMINED LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE AND
I KNOW DETTER THAN MOST A VERY EFFECTIVE DEFENDER IN
CAUCUS OF HER CONSTITUENTS' INTERESTS.
FINALLY, I SUST ACKNOWLEDGE A PERSON WHOSE CONTRIBUTION TO
RAINBOW STREET AND TO EVERY OTHER CHILD CARE CENTRE WE HAVE
ESTABLISHED AROJND THE NATION HAS BEEN GIGANTIC. I AM
TALKING ABOUT DON GRIHES, WHO AS MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY
SERVICES AND BEFORE THAT AS SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER, IS
HORE THAN ANYONE ELSE ABLE TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
GROWTH OF CHILD CARE SERVICES BY MY GOVERNMENT.
NEXT MONDAY, DON GRIMES IS FORMALLY TO RESIGN FROM HIS
MINISTERIAL POST:. HE WILL THUS BECOME THE FIRST MINISTER TO
LEAVE MY MXNISTRY SINCE WE WERE ELECTED WHICH I MIGHT ADD
MEANS THE COHPOSITION OF MY MINISTRY HAS BEEN THE MOST
STABLE OF ANY SINCE FEDERATION.
WITH DON'S DEPARTURE GOES A MAN WHOSE CONTRIBUTION TO THE
NATION HAS BEEN INMENSE. HE HAS BEEN A SYMPATHETIC AND
BRILLIANTLY XNORMED MINISTER IN THE HUGE WELFARE AREA. HE
HAD WON TEiE DESPECT OF WELFARE ACTIVISTS LONG DEFORE WE CAME
INTO OFFICE ; ND HIS WORK IN OFFICE HAS VINDICATED THAT
RESPECT. THE 100TH CHILD CARE CZNTRE BUILT IN NSW UNDER THE
JOINT FEDERAL-NSW PROGRAM MUST STAND AS AN ENDURING MONUMENT
TO HIM.
I NOW OFFICIALLY DECLARE THE RAINBOW STREET CHILD CARE
CENTRE OPEN AKD WISH YOU ALL WELL IN THE OPERATION OF THIS
IMPORTANT COEr: IUNITY RESOURCE.
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