*NOTE - NEW LINK TO SIGN - council won’t accept change.org (big ol’ surprise there!) so please use this link, if you have already signed pretty please sign again!*
So about a month ago our local council voted to kick our daycare centre out of our council building after 25 years of operating in the space. You can read more about it here and here.
They have given the building to another centre that operates from a neighbouring shire. A centre that pays their staff less, charges their families more and doesn’t have a plan to reduce the epic waitlist starting from May, like we planned to and now can’t because of the council’s decision. Don’t get me started on the ludicrousness of OUR local council voting in a non-local operator.
We have asked the councillors why they made this decision, and they refuse to answer us. It makes no logical, financial or community-minded sense. Our centre is solvent, thriving, with incredible staff and very satisfied families. We are baffled.
We lodged a complaint, which they answered very poorly. We’ve now sent that complaint to the ombudsman, and we have a Freedom of Information Act in the works.
A few days ago, we launched an online petition that anyone can sign. We have until Tuesday morning to get as many signatures as possible.
I honestly don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s not right and they must be held to account.
2500 people regularly read this email - if you could take a few minutes out of your day to sign this petition, it would be a big help. Do not donate! We only need signatures.
And yes - Ben made a protest jacket for me and I wore it to our local festival and got people to sign it and the petition. Activism but make it fashion.
See you on Wednesday - and thank you.
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Sounds super dodgy! Even leaving aside the actual specifics of the childcare centre (which sounds really sad for local families!) I hate these kind of power moves with a total lack of oversight! If government is going to make decisions like this they need to at least show their work and stand by it, and allow people to discuss, debate, understand. Hope you can get some traction.
I've signed. I'm local ish and know very well the tight knit town that is Beechworth. Good luck!