MURRAY ELECTORATE PRE-SCHOOLS
Mr SMALL (Murray) [5.44]: I speak on behalf of 25 pre-schools in the Murray electorate. In the past several weeks many pre-school committee representatives have spoken to me about shortage of funds for pre-schools and the difficulties they face in these harsh economic times. I ask the Minister for State Development and Minister for Tourism to relay my concerns to the Minister for Health and Community Services in the other place. At present the budget for pre-schools is $64.2 million, which is shared by the five support areas in New South Wales. The pre-schools operational base subsidy comprises 74 per cent of the total budget, which is $47.5 million. The long day care centres salary subsidy is about $10 million. Early childhood services, which covers mobile resource units, of which there are a number in my electorate, have received $3.1 million. Vacational care operational assistance received $2.3 million and occasional care salary subsidies amount to $1.3 million. Though it may appear pre-schools receive significant funding, unfortunately the serious Federal cutbacks in recent years - $1 billion from the States' budget - are having a serious effect on local pre-schools, which provide three-year-old and four-year-old children with a wonderful start in life. Children learn to mix together, and they are given a basic understanding of school routine. Representatives of pre-schools in my electorate consider that because of lack of funds the Ross report did not cover in detail all areas of the State. Its findings were based mainly on large metropolitan centres. The more isolated communities were not fully investigated.
At most, pre-schools receive a government subsidy equivalent to $4.75 per child. Children of low income parents are subsidised by the Government also. Pre-school enrolments have increased but in many cases families with low incomes, whose children attend pre-school, are not receiving subsidies from the Government. The Federal Government has provided funding for the construction of pre-schools by way of an enhancement program. That funding has amounted to $500,000, of which my electorate has received limited funds in the past seven years. This year a maximum of only $10,000 has been made available. I urge the Minister and the Government to give careful consideration to the utilisation of funds and to request additional funding from the Federal Government to assist the endeavours of the Minister for Health and Community Services. If additional funds are not made available in these harsh economic times - [Time expired.]
Mr YABSLEY (Vaucluse - Minister for State Development and Minister for Tourism) [5.49]: The matters raised by the honourable member for Murray are obviously, for the very best of reasons, of great concern to him. I am familiar with some of the same difficulties myself in my electorate, albeit it is in a vastly different part of New South Wales. I will make sure that the matters that have been raised by the honourable member for Murray are drawn to the attention of the Minister in another place, who I am sure will do his best within the constraints of funding from the Federal Government - which, of course, has the primary responsibility in this regard.