A mother has said she feels betrayed after plans to improve childcare capacity in Northern Tasmania were quietly scrapped.
The comments follow the scrapping of a proposed childcare centre in Scottsdale.
Deputy opposition leader Janie Finlay has accused the state government of backtracking on an election promise.
Minister for Education Jo Palmer said the centre has not been downgraded and has ordered the Department for Education to re-engage with the community.
A four-hour round trip for day care
Taylor Clyne-Smith, a mother of three girls, used to make a four-hour round-trip to secure childcare after giving birth to her first child.
A journalist at the local paper, she anticipated returning to work.
She applied to her local childcare centre in Scottsdale and spent the next four years on the waiting list.
The long drive and demanding nature of raising a family left Ms Clyne-Smith unable to return to work.
"They're little people[her children]. They want to fall asleep in the car, so having them fall asleep at 4pm or 5pm just wrecks your entire night," she said.
It's a sentiment shared by many in the community.
Ms Clyne-Smith worries the lack of childcare options in her area and dissuading skilled and independent workers, such as doctors or pharmacists
"The cost of groceries, fuel, all of it - you want to be able to go back to work - how do you operate on one single income if you can't?" Ms Clyne-Smith said.
"It's not very good for working mothers at all, and also attracting people to our area.
"Derby is an absolute mountain biking boom - there are so many families who have moved here - but we need more doctors, more healthcare professionals, and more farmers; they can't go back to work because there's no care."
Breaking a promise
Still, hope was on the horizon after Education Minister Jo Palmer announced in 2024, as part of an election promise, that the state government would build the Dorset Child and Family Learning Centre, a mega hub offering childcare services.
However, the childcare aspect of that centre seems to have been scrapped.
Labor deputy leader Janie Finlay said the state government had "100 per cent cut" childcare out of the project.
Ms Palmer said the state government remains committed to childcare.
When questioned about this during question time in Parliament, Mrs Palmer said the childcare aspect was scrapped following a recommendation from the Department of Education.
Mrs Palmer said she was advised by her department the service was not needed and that advice came from community consultation.
Ms Finlay said the community had been left outraged by the way they had been treated.
"All of a sudden, out of nowhere, it was indicated that the childcare portion is not going ahead," she said.
"It was a surprise to them [the community] because their message had consistently been that there's absolutely a need for childcare and that the facility should be built."
Ms Palmer said the government remained committed to giving children the best possible start in life and has asked the Department of Education to re-engage with the community.
"My office and I are continuing to engage constructively with the Dorset community following recent feedback around workforce pressures and access to childcare," she said.
"I have requested the Department for Education, Children and Young People review the available information, re-engage with the community, and provide updated advice to ensure the new Child and Family Learning Centre meets the needs of local families.
"This work is well underway."
Ms Finlay criticised Mrs Palmer, saying she should not blame her department.
"It's wild that a minister would blame their department for a budget cut, for breaking an election promise," she said.
"What she has to do is reaffirm her commitment and care for the community. They made this promise, they raised expectations, and then she's ripped it away."
Still, Ms Palmer said the DCFLC has not been downgraded.
"it remains a significant investment in early years services," she said.
The DCFLC is part of a $24 million commitment to provide three new CFLCs at Scottsdale, Smithton, and Longford.
Ms Clyne-Smith said uncertainty was unfair to families trying to plan their futures.
"These are people's lives. It's their income, it's their families, it's their future," she said.