Wind In The Willows: Councillor slams mayor’s last-minute fee call as ‘coercion dressed as a discount’

A Town of Bassendean councillor has criticised a surprise proposal to introduce a two-tier fee structure at Wind In The Willows childcare centres, while parents say they were blindsided by the change and denied an opportunity to comment before it was adopted. The town council voted at its May 26 meeting to increase fees at the council-operated childcare service from July 1 this year, with families paying $192 per child per day. Children attending four or more days per week will receive a discounted rate of $179 per day. The fee structure was introduced by mayor Kath Hamilton during the meeting. Only Cr Ken John voted against it. He described the proposal as unfair and asked why parents should bear the cost of losses incurred by council decisions. “The parents shouldn’t be stuck with the retrospective bill,” he said. “This proposal is coercion dressed as a discount. “This structure also values community members and parents who can and will afford the service all week more than others in our community. It values our community members differently. “It sends a message to parents that you’re only as good as your usefulness to our bottom line.” Cr John said parents had been told “repeatedly” that the service broke even every time they were given a fee increase. “They didn’t know until the announcement this year that the service had turned a loss at all,” he said. “It is entirely unjust for parents to be put on a rate that is a responsibility of the council and the decisions the council have made. “This council is responsible for those losses, and the parents shouldn’t be stuck with a retrospective bill and it is shameful to expect the parents to pay for the mistakes of the town.” He also asked why the council was willing to spend money on the planned divestment of the service but not on maintaining its affordability. “Why can we pay $70,000 of municipal funds on a divestment process but we can’t use municipal funds to fix a mess that we made?” he said. Town CEO Cameron Woods recommended against the two-tier fee model. He also raised concerns about administering the arrangement alongside Federal childcare subsidy requirements and questioned the value of introducing a major pricing change for a service the council had already resolved to divest. Mr Woods told the council administration modelling indicated a discounted rate of $180 per day would be required for the service to break even and recover an estimated $140,000 loss from the current financial year. Parent Kathleen English, whose twins attend the community facility, said the alternative motion came without warning. “It was a complete surprise; it wasn’t mentioned to anyone,” she said. Ms English said she had spoken with several councillors in the week leading up to the meeting but was never told the proposal was being considered. “We were completely shocked,” she said. “It just came out of nowhere.” She said parents were unable to ask questions about the proposed two-tier payment structure because it was introduced after public participation had finished. “They announced the alternative motion after we’d all spoken,” she said. “We couldn’t have our say about it, and also the motion itself was inaccurate as to the reality of childcare.” Ms English said the proposed fee increases could have significant impacts on families already struggling with childcare costs. “I myself am a one-income household and I’m trying to find time to study,” she said. “We’re going to have to pull out of the day care entirely.” She said parents had repeatedly sought greater transparency about the service’s finances. “We’ve been asking the questions, and they’ve repeatedly been blocked down,” she said. “The level of ignorance around the industry and how it works as a whole is concerning.” At the closure of debate, Cr Hamilton said some of the comments made at the meeting were both “interesting” and “disappointing”. “We get that people have different opinions. They’re entitled to their different opinions. That is called democracy,” she said. In a media release issued after the meeting, the town said the updated fees were necessary to maintain service stability ahead of a planned transition after July next year and to improve the service’s financial sustainability. “The two-tier fee structure is intended to encourage more consistent occupancy levels across all operating days, while supporting greater overall use of the service,” it said. The town said the discounted rate recognised families who relied on the service for full-time or near full-time care while helping reduce the financial burden on ratepayers. Cr Hamilton said the decision sought to balance service quality and financial responsibility. “This ensures families continue to receive the standard of care they expect while reducing the financial burden on the wider community,” she said. “It allows us to responsibly manage the service and support staff as we move towards the next phase.” The town said about 27 per cent of children enrolled at Wind In The Willows live outside the Town of Bassendean and that occupancy below 80 per cent resulted in financial losses. Wind In The Willows will continue operating under council management until at least July 2027.