The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says Cohuna has been dealt another body blow by the Allan Labor government after it was overlooked – again – in funding for an urgently needed childcare centre.
Mr Walsh says businesses and families in Cohuna have been crying out for a childcare centre for years and the total government disinterest in the town is crippling its economic growth.
He says the little river community “really punches above its weight” in manufacturing and enterprise but to attract the families it needs to keep growing, childcare is vital.
“The Allan Labor government is blowing its trumpet with yet another announcement about giving regional areas more access to local childcare and kindergarten but has ignored Gannawarra Shire – again,” Mr Walsh says.
“The community has repeatedly approached this government, and I have done everything I can to support them, and we have come up empty every time,” he says.
“Yet the need is so clearly there. Jobs are waiting to be filled across a range of industries, and those industries can’t grow unless they can draw new workers to the area.
“The most frightening outcome here, because this government does not care, is the industries are forced to move away to find the workforce they need.”
Mr Walsh says neighbouring Campaspe Shire has been promised funding for one of 50 new government-owned and operated early learning and childcare centres.
However, he says the Allan Labor government promise comes with a caveat “as usual” as its 50 ‘promised’ ELCCs means four next year, 14 more in 2026 and most in 2032.
“That’s a classic Allan promise. Here’s a headline and hopefully then everyone will forget about the reality when they never deliver. Just like the tens of thousands of promised government-built houses to ease the accommodation and rental crisis – how many of those have been built do you reckon?” Mr Walsh says.
“Perhaps if the Cohuna businesses desperate for new workers and families in the town signed up with the CFMEU for construction, Premier Allan might be more interested in doing something about it,” he says.
“We might see some action then, although it’s likely the childcare centre would end up costing taxpayers about $1 billion to build.
“A Liberal Nationals government will make initiatives such as regional childcare centres in locations where they are needed an absolute priority to help secure the long-term future of these amazing communities currently being forced to do so much on their own while Jacinta Allan pours billions of our dollars into corruption riddled, union run black holes.”