Workforce

Julia Creek struggles to attract Director despite $10,000 cash incentive

Freya Lucas

May 06, 2022

Save

Founded in 1890, Julia Creek in north-west Queensland is one of the oldest towns in the state, and has a population of just over 450 people. Within that 450 are 11 families who will struggle to continue working unless a Director is found for council-run Julia Creek Early Learning Centre.

The service has been advertising for a Director since January this year, offering a $10,000 cash incentive, a heavily subsidised house on offer, a two-minute commute to work, and a safe, friendly community with great facilities along with five weeks of annual leave and relocation assistance funding.

McKinlay Shire Chief Executive Trevor Williams described the situation as troubling, sharing that the Council has engaged a number of recruiting agencies, including specialist childcare providers, all without success.

If a Director is not found within the next 12 months the service will lose its funding and be forced to close. The service supports not only working parents in Julia Creek, but also the surrounding region with children from cattle stations traveling into town for a day or two each week.

Once newcomers to Julia Creek arrive in the town, getting them to stay is not an issue, Mr Williams said.

"What we find is that it's very difficult convincing workers to come out here, but once we get them here, they stay," he told the ABC.

"Communities like Julia Creek, a lot of people find it really easy to fit into life out here."

To read the original coverage of this story please see here. More information about the role is available here.

Don’t miss a thing

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

Early childhood educators have one of the most important jobs in Australia. We trust them to keep our kids safe, to educate them in their most formative years, and to care for them when we can’t do it ourselves. And far too often, educators are doing it all on empty.

Workforce planning in ECEC: from compliance requirement to strategic advantage

With workforce pressures continuing across early childhood education and care (ECEC), a structured approach to workforce planning is emerging as a critical leadership tool, not simply an administrative exercise.

National Early Childhood Worker Register: commencing 27 February 2026

The introduction of the National Early Childhood Worker Register from the 27 February, has signalled a significant shift in workforce oversight across early childhood education and care (ECEC).