Western Australia sees 8.4 per cent surge in LDC openings in Q1 2025 says NQF snapshot

The number of new long day care services opened in Western Australia in the three months to March 2025 surged 8.4 per cent, the largest year on year rise in a decade, new data released in ACECQA’s NQF snapshot shows. 

WA now has 917 LDCs licensed and operating, an increase of 71 compared to last year and around 200 more than in March 2020, the last quarter prior to the COVID-19 pandemic taking hold in Australia. 

The state has been the standout overall in activity across Australia in the last twelve months with the three larger states recording growth rates of between 2.0 per cent and 4.0 per cent although Victoria is now showing signs of breaking out of that narrow range. 

Victoria recorded a 5.4 per cent increase in new LDC centres, just topping post COVID-19 increases, and now stands at 2,049 centres in total, the second largest after New South Wales at 3,605. 

Growth in NSW has been remarkably stable, even accounting for the post COVID rise, for a number of years now, and growth-wise sits at the lower end of the range. Queensland, having seen material supply growth last year, looks like it is moderating back to within its long- term channel. 

On a national level, the growth rate has picked up, driven by Victoria and Western Australia, sitting at 3.9 per cent and moving up towards the previous high level recorded in Q1 2020. 

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, the outlook for supply growth appears stronger than in recent years, supported by easing interest rates, moderating inflation, and the policy stability expected under a re-elected Labour Government.

To review the latest NQF Snapshot please click here.