Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 6:19:02 to 6:21:57
Discussion on the lack of childcare services in remote areas like Weipa and its impact on the mining workforce and economic productivity.
Topics: Infrastructure, Employment, Education
Speakers: Senator Paul Scarr, Mr. Tony Cook, Senator Marielle Smith
relation that I had a a visit recently to Weer uh in far north Queensland. You would know >> We very well. >> You know Weer very well and it's an extraordinarily remote town. It's also an extremely important town in terms of the support it provides to the bulk site mining uh operations in Weer which are conducted by Rio Tinto. uh they had a single child care service that was unable to be continued. So you've now got a town with um uh quite a reasonable population uh with so many working parents uh including amazing women in the mining industry some of whom I met uh who don't have child care available and it's actually having an impact in terms of uh people's lives to work continue generating the economic wealth which our my state and the country depends upon. To what extent is the department looking at uh other regional remote centers uh around Australia uh where there's this desperate need uh for child care >> I'm giving a plug to we here as an
example. >> Sure. Sure. Sure. In terms of beef, obviously one of the um criteria for beef is looking at childcare deserts, so rural and remote. And we can give you stats around that. Beef is particularly focused on new services, so additional services on top of existing services. The point
>> So what if there's no service, there was an existing service and it's closed down.
>> Yeah. The point you raised about Weber, I'm not aware of that um issue particularly, but it doesn't mean we can't at least uh uh talk to Queensland about it, particularly Queensland government around that. Uh I'm just not aware of the particular circumstance that you've raised.
>> Well, Mr. Cook, I'll I'll I'll contact the wonderful um mayor of the Weer Town Authority and get some further detail and provide that to you because I think it's um you know, literally I spoke to >> uh wonderful women in the mining industry and we're trying to get more women into the mining industry >> uh who were telling me how difficult it
>> yeah, it' be useful to know like why they closed any of that information that would help us understand. Well, it's a
remote site. So, it's it's a remote place.
>> It is, but it's a moderately big remote
place compared to other beautiful. I think it'd be a beautiful place to live and everyone tells me anyone who leaves Weer inevitably comes back to Weiper and it's especially got a wonderful caravan park for people to visit during the dry season. So, >> so
they're the sort of things we'd need to
know. So, I'll um I'll get the local town authority to put some material together and provide provide it to you.
>> That'll be useful. Thanks, Senator.
>> Okie do. Um back to you, Senator