Surprising suburbs where child care fees actually dropped

New data shows inner-city Brisbane residents are paying in excess of $16,000 a year for child care, before subsidies are applied, with the annual cost of child care riding by up to $1000 in some areas. SEE HOW MUCH IT COSTS WHERE YOU LIVE

The annual cost of child care has risen by up to $1000 in some parts of Queensland in the year since March 2020, with even parts of central Queensland copping big price hikes.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF COSTS BY AREA BELOW

But there are some surprising Brisbane and Gold Coast suburbs that have actually seen prices drop.

The latest data shows inner-city Brisbane residents are paying in excess of $16,000 a year for child care, before subsidies are applied or about $2400 with the maximum 85 per cent subsidy, having seen prices rises anywhere from 1.3-5 per cent.

But in the south Brisbane suburb of Nathan average annual child care fees fell by $216, northern Gold Coast suburbs dropped $187, while Beenleigh costs fell $144.

Opposition spokeswoman for Early Childhood Development Amanda Rishworth. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Opposition early childhood spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth said most Queensland families were being “crippled” by soaring fees, but Education Minister Alan Tudge said they were still paying less out-of-pocket now than they were before the government’s reforms in 2018.

Analysis of new data from the federal Education Department reveal which parts of the state are paying the most and least for child care, from March 2020-21.

It is based on a family with one child in care for 30 hours a week and 48 weeks in the year.

While inner-city Brisbane areas retain the highest prices, areas around Nathan, Holland Park-Yeronga, Sherwood, Carindale and Nundah all have annual fees of more than $15,000, before subsidies.

Charters Towers, Innisfail and southwest Queensland have the cheapest fees of $10,500 and $11,500 a year, before subsidies.

While regional areas are typically cheaper, regions in the Bowen Basin and Tablelands saw the highest fee hikes in the state, above 7 per cent and equating to $800 or more a year before subsidies are applied.

Education Minister Alan Tudge. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Rishworth said Queensland families had been hit with significant fee increases, despite inflation only rising 1.1 per cent in the same time period.

“Families are being crippled by the cost of child care, and the Morrison-Joyce Government has no plan to keep a lid on soaring fees,” she said.

“Labor has a plan to make child care cheaper for 97 per cent of families, and also to get the ACCC to design a price regulation mechanism to keep costs down for good.”

But Mr Tudge said the average out-of-pocket cost in Queensland was $3.37 per hour, around 10 per cent cheaper than before the Coalition’s 2018 reforms.

“What matters most for families is their out-of-pocket costs and Queensland families have some of the lowest in the country,” he said.

“Almost a third of families pay less than $2 per hour.

“Almost 60,000 Queensland families stand to be an average of $2200 better off a year under our multiple child care subsidy and around $700 better off this financial year.”

See the full list at couriermail.com.au