Mayor speaks out about the future of family day care in Broken Hill

Broken Hill Mayor Tom Kennedy has reassured residents that there has been “no indication” that the future of family day care (FDC) in the town is in jeopardy after the Council voted against taking over the service last week. 

Cobar Shire Council currently operates Far West Family Day Care, which absorbed Broken Hill Family Day Care (BHFDC) as part of its regional operations in 2020. Cobar is now seeking to withdraw from the Broken Hill market, and has been in discussions with the Council about transferring operations to the Council. 

Council considered the matter at its most recent Ordinary Monthly Meeting, voting against taking on the service after a report suggested Council’s operations “lacked the resources, experience, and regulatory and compliance knowledge required” to take on responsibility for FDC services. 

This decision prompted concerns from some locals that Cobar would terminate its local operations if Broken Hill Council did not take them on, however Mayor Kennedy said he had been given no indication this would happen.

“I understand there’s been a bit of rumour in the community regarding this issue, and I’d like to clarify things for the benefit of both Cobar and Broken Hill councils,” he said.

“Cobar approached us about potentially taking over the FDC service, and our staff did an investigation to see if we could accommodate it and unfortunately it didn’t prove suitable at all,” he said.

“However all discussions were extremely respectful, and at no stage did Cobar deliver us an ultimatum or say ‘take this on or we’ll shut it down’, and I’d just like to ensure that’s made very clear.”

“I’m not aware of any plan by Cobar to suddenly axe the service if Broken Hill Council doesn’t take it on, and I can only assume that Council was just one of many options Cobar would investigate to potentially operate the service.”

The Council, he continued, will work with all parties involved to find an alternative provider in the event that Cobar should still wish to withdraw from local services. 

“The reality is our local Council simply doesn’t have the background or expertise in relation to operating a childcare service,” he said.

“It’s a specialised field and ideally this service would be operated by a local body within the industry (sic.), so we’ll look to meet with Far West Family Day Care, local educators, and Cobar Shire Council as soon as possible to find a solution.

“Council will also continue to advocate for support for centre-based childcare in Broken Hill, which is where the industry’s preference is trending.”