As pay deadline looms ACA NSW resumes call to rethink “excessive” provider fees

The Australian Childcare Alliance NSW (ACA NSW) has again escalated its challenge to the state’s early childhood regulatory body in the wake of substantial increases in annual service fees announced earlier in 2026 which fall due on the 15 November 2026.

The increases, which are most onerous in New South Wales and Victoria, will see fees rise by as much as 1,000% for larger providers with the onus being placed on the for profit sector.

“ACA NSW disagrees with the NSW Early Learning Commission's decision to increase their fees to such extraordinary levels,” the peak body noted.

“Moreover, especially during a cost-of-living crisis, its decision is tone-deaf. But above all, its lack of accountability and transparency do not give the NSW sector the necessary confidence that as the new regulator it has taken responsibility for its own failures and instead made it all the NSW sector's fault.”

Fee reset to be felt hardest by larger for profit providers in NSW and VIC

With the increases now well flagged and the payment date approaching providers in NSW and VIC will be preparing to honour their payment commitments with increases between 300 per cent and 1,000 per cent already well flagged.

The fees, which are detailed on ACECQA’s website will see a large for profit provider now pay $7,280 per year for each service owned and operated that is between 81 and 100 licence places with their not for profit equivalents paying a less, but still sizeable, $5,096.

Small providers, with 25 centres or less, will pay $3,640 per year for the same sized centre and their not for profit peers $2,184.

To put the increases in perspective the fees 12 months ago were closer to $650 per annum for equivalent services and currently reside at around these levels in other Australian jurisdictions like Queensland and Western Australia.

ACA NSW has long advocated for more transparency from Commission

Beginning in February 2026 the ACA NSW has become increasingly vocal regarding the quantum of the increase and the impact it has on services across the governance spectrum.

Under freedom of information protocols Chiang Lim, President of ACA New South Wales, has repeatedly requested more transparency around fee increase decisions after redacted disclosures failed to clarify precisely the methodology and mechanisms used to arrive at the increased levels.

Since then ACA NSW has maintained its advocacy in the space including pursuing the following avenues:

1. Requesting a review by NSW Information and Privacy Commissioner as to why more information was not released under Freedom of Information requests
2. Asking the NSW Auditor-General to advise if the up to 1,000% fee increases are fair
3. Requesting the NSW Early Learning Commission to allow services to in instalments

For more information on service fees visit ACEQCA’s website here and to read the NSW ACA’s release please click here.