Knox defends fees rise

By Casey Neill
KNOX Council has come under fire for a 10 per cent increase in its childcare fees, which is the highest in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, the Shire of Yarra Ranges’ increase of 3.4 per cent was among the lowest in the state.
Knox Council CEO Graeme Emonson said the decision to lift fees for regular all-day care from $60.50 to $66.50 a day was part of a council plan to help childcare centres break even by the 2010-11 financial year.
Mr Emonson said the council undertook an extensive review of its childcare services in 2004.
“This included a review of pricing that proposed a long-term plan to move council’s childcare centres to a break even position,” he said.
Mr Emonson said the council did not make a profit from the five long day care centres in the Knox City Child Care Network.
“For 2007-08 alone, the council contributed approximately $570,000 just to help its childcare centres meet operational costs,” he said.
“This figure is in addition to the funds raised by childcare fees.”
Boronia’s Park Crescent centre and the Edward Street facility in Upper Ferntree Gully are among those affected by the fee increase.
Knox Ratepayers Association (KRA) president Peter Baird said the rise would hurt a lot of people and make it even harder to make ends meet.
“You would think that this council would have some kind of plan in place to take the pressure off an ever diminishing expendable income,” he said.
“Instead they hit up the ratepayer with the highest childcare fee rise in the state and feel it’s justified.”
Mr Baird said that although 10 per cent did not sound like a lot, the extra $6.50 a day was on top of interest rate rises, rate rises and increasing petrol costs.
Mr Emonson encouraged any families experiencing hardship to contact the council to discuss individual circumstances.
Fees at the Shire of Yarra Ranges’ Sherbrooke Child Care Centre in Upwey are set to increase by $2 to $60 a day.
Shire spokesman James Martin said an annual childcare fee adjustment was necessary to cover increases in labour and operational costs.
“We make sure it’s as moderate as possible because we realise how hard it is for parents to find money for childcare fees,” he said.