Cape York Weekly Edition 053

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Cape York Weekly FREE – #053 | Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Editor: Matt Nicholls 0477 450 558 | editor@capeyorkweekly.com.au

FESTIVAL A WINNER

The new venue for the iconic Wallaby Creek Festival at Rossville has been given the thumbs up by hundreds of revellers who flocked to the remote Cape York location on the weekend. Full story – Page 11

Naomi Wang, Leah Kelly, Trish Molloy, Jen Fengler and Odee Gorman from Kuranda band The Secret Tuesdays. Picture: MARK KNOWLES

Parents forced to leave town or quit their jobs

Child care solution? By MATT NICHOLLS

FRUSTRATED parents in Weipa are hoping that a survey could lead to a solution for the town’s growing child care issues. Catholic Early Learning and Care last week posted an online survey, asking parents in the Weipa area to answer seven questions relating to their child care needs.

With more than 100 children on a waiting list for care in Weipa, the interest from Catholic Early Learning and Care has been welcomed by parents who have been unable to return to work as a result of the shortage of places. Sophie Bradley is a nurse at Weipa Hospital and will soon pack up and move back to Atherton with her fiance Pat Fitzgerald because

FUNDRAISER

they can’t get child care for their daughter Evelyn. “I fell pregnant last year and I put us on the waiting list really early, before work even knew,” Ms Bradley said. “Right now, we are still 12 to 18 months away from getting child care. I know of three other nurses who have been in the same situation and have left town as a result.”

Ms Bradley said she loved the Weipa lifestyle and hoped that something would be done to fix what is becoming a major issue. “I don’t see the situation getting much better. No one seems to want to do something,” she said. “I rang up a child care operator in the Tablelands and I was able to get a spot immediately.” She welcomed the survey and

the potential interest of a third-party child care operator, but said it would likely be too late for dozens of parents waiting for care. Kay Reyes, the executive director of Catholic Early Learning and Care, said while nothing was locked in, there was definite interest in providing child care in a growing community like Weipa. Continued – Page 2


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