Northern Grampians Shire Council decided to close the centre at a meeting on Monday night after 18 months of discussion.

An ongoing service review showed the centre had declining numbers and was a burden on the general ratepayer.

It comes at the same time council decided to hand over its visitor information centres and the Halls Gap Hub to Grampians Tourism.

The move will mean five staff will be made redundant.

Mayor Murray Emerson said the childcare centre would close on or before December 18 and the centre’s 11 staff would be made redundant.

“This has not been an easy decision to make and we are confident that we have done everything in our power as a council to keep the centre open,” he said. 

“Council has, and will continue to, explore other options for the centre but at present this is the only decision we could reasonably make. 

“The point has been reached where it is no longer a viable option to keep the centre open.

“We are putting  half a million dollars into children’s services each year. 

“We have a responsibility to ensure the best use of ratepayers’ money and we must constantly question the viability of our services to ensure the fairest outcome for all ratepayers.

“We will continue to make the right decisions but unfortunately these are not always the easiest ones.”

The centre runs at just 14.4 per cent occupancy.

The industry standard is quoted as between 82 and 95 per cent. 

Cr Emerson said the need for childcare in Stawell was simply being met elsewhere. 

“We know that there are a range of other options for parents and carers in Stawell including the Early Learning Centre and family day care arrangements,” he said.

“We also know that the current work climate has caused a huge shift in the way families access childcare. 

“Work places are much more flexible now, giving parents the opportunity to work shorter hours or to work from home.

“This, coupled with improvements in information and communication technology, has diminished the need for childcare services. 

“With many of our town’s largest employers offering shift work, the 6am to 6pm childcare model is not something that is useful for every family.” 

Northern Grampians chief executive Justine Linley said children’s services staff and the 34 families using the centre regularly had been notified of the closure. 

“Unfortunately this does mean that Taylor’s Gully Council staff will be made redundant.

“It’s not something we like doing and we’ve done everything we possibly could to avoid it. 

“We sincerely thank all of the centre staff for their commitment to Northern Grampians Shire Council and wish them all the very best.”

Services and staff numbers will be scaled back over the coming months.