My question is to the Minister for Children and I ask what is the impact on communities when Councils move to increase charges, shorten leases or privatise not-for-profit early learning services?

Residents of the inner north are outraged as Darebin Council has moved to cut our 18 community centre leases to a mere two years under the guise of developing a new council-wide leasing policy.

What they gloss over is the new leasing policy likely involves burdening centres with rates, taxes, utility and maintenance costs.

At a time when State and Federal governments are making massive investments into free kinder and cheaper childcare, Darebin Council wants to pull out resources to help its bottom line.

Families are angry, staff and educators are in a state of extreme uncertainty and nobody can plan for the future.

Across Melbourne we’ve seen Councils do the same and we’ve seen it lead to privatisation and closures.

Our community deserves better.

I stand with the educators, staff, families and children that rely on community early learning centres and call on Darebin Council to do better.