A Victorian council mayor is "outraged" at a lack of support to fix issues plaguing a local early years childcare facility, and is calling on the Victorian government to intervene.
Hopetoun, located about 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, has been without a childcare service for over two years, and Yarriambiack Shire Council says it could potentially be without one for another two years.
Hopetoun Uniting Early Learning closed in April 2024 after workforce shortages forced the provider, Uniting Vic Tas, to cease operations.
In 2025, Emerge Early Years stepped in to deliver both child care and kindergarten services from a council-owned building, with staff recruited to restart child care in 2026.
However, earlier this year the council-owned centre was forced to close after a burst water pipe caused severe structural damage.
"The community was on the brink of finally getting the [childcare] service back," Yarriambiack Shire Mayor Andrew McLean said.
"Then, through no fault of their own, the council-owned building was declared unsafe after extensive water damage, mould and structural deterioration were uncovered."
Council said engineering assessments had confirmed the site required extensive stabilisation works that could potentially keep it out of action for up to two years.
"At the moment, all the floorboards have been ripped up to allow it to dry, but even after the 18 months of drying and compaction again, it'll be another I think 24 weeks or something to actually finish the unit."
Relocation causes headaches
In the meantime, the kindergarten programs, separate to the childcare service, were temporarily relocated to the Hopetoun Senior Citizens building, but that displaced those who had been using that facility.
"This temporary solution comes at the expense of another valued community group and still does not provide a childcare service for local families," Cr McLean said.
"We have 27 children enrolled in kindergarten this year, strong enrolment projections for next year, and at least 15 families who had already expressed interest in childcare places before services were due to reopen.
"The demand is there and the need is undeniable."
He called the situation "completely unacceptable", accusing the state government of failing to properly support rural communities and calling on them to deliver a new integrated early years facility for Hopetoun.
He wants to see the development of a facility on the Hopetoun P-12 College site, or a demolition and rebuild on the damaged council-owned site, with joint funding from council's insurance money and government support.
"Frankly, I am outraged that a rural community can be left in this position," he said.
"It is unacceptable that our children, teachers and educators are expected to operate a kindergarten program from the Senior Citizens building for up to two years."
A council representative said they had been told by the Department of Education that there were no relocatable facilities available and that investment in an alternative solution was not currently under consideration.
A Department of Education spokesperson said it was supporting ongoing kindergarten delivery in Hopetoun, while Yarriambiack Shire Council undertakes repairs to its existing early years building.
"While responsibility for childcare funding and provision rests with the Commonwealth, we've already offered council options to ensure the temporary kinder has what it needs for quality early learning, including new play equipment, more outdoor shade and secure fencing," the spokesperson said.
Parents feel the impact
Cr McLean also feared the ongoing absence of child care could affect local workforce participation, employee retention and the long-term future of the community.
"When parents can't access child care, they can't participate fully in the workforce … Employers struggle to recruit and retain staff," he said.
"When substandard kindergarten facilities are on offer, young families begin looking elsewhere.
"The ripple effects from these situations are profound."
It is a problem Beulah resident Heather Sherwell knows all too well.
The town's childcare issues have caused her partner to reduce his work hours and increased the family's travel time.
She said when they could organise family child care, it took them 15 minutes in one direction to drop their daughter off, before another 20 minutes in the opposite direction to drop her son off at kindergarten.
Ms Sherwell said there was a feeling of defeat amongst parents in the region given the ongoing childcare situation.
"From an early learning perspective, it's impacting our kids … The relationships that children have with other children, the impact that those lack of relationships have in just basic play education," she said.
She said the community needed government assistance with the infrastructure, but support was also required to support early years staff.
Member for Mildura Jade Benham has backed calls for the state government to provide a solution, but said she had also been told by the Department of Education that "there is no relocatable building available and that a $2.5 million rebuild is not justified".
"We have a situation where our seniors are being displaced so that our children can access kindergarten, while there is still nowhere to accommodate the child care families are asking for," she said.
"That is robbing Peter to pay Paul, and it is not a sustainable solution."
