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CEO rules out rescue plan: happy to stay with their own
Written by SALLY EVANS.
THE Rural City of Wangaratta has ruled out a council takeover of local ABC childcare centres and the possibility of sparing 220 childcare places.
The future of three childcare facilities in Wangaratta remains in limbo after ABC Learning went into voluntary administration earlier this month.
In speaking at a meeting on Tuesday night, chief executive officer Doug Sharp said council was unlikely to come to the rescue of the embattled facilities as it already operates the Wangaratta Childcare Centre at Batchelor’s Green.
"Our position is that we have our own childcare centre," he said.
"We have that for two reasons - we wanted to provide an alternative to private childcare, and we service a different socio-economic demand.
"We have no plans at this time to enter into any private arrangements to takeover ABC."
ABC Learning will continue to operate childcare centres across Australia at least until the end of the year after it was thrown a $22 million lifeline by the Federal Government.
Receiver and manager of ABC Learning, Chris Honey of McGrathNicol, said the group was working with government and financiers to develop a business plan to preserve childcare places for ABC parents after December 31.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) meanwhile will undertake a study in partnership with the State Government to determine market demand for the centres.
MAV president Dick Gross said the study would look at options for keeping the centres running by interested councils and community groups.
"This is a non-commital approach as not all councils are willing to take over direct operation of centres and nor should they feel pressure to use ratepayer money to bail the commonwealth and ABC Learning out of this mess," he said.
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