The United Services Union (USU) has raised serious concerns over the future of the after-school and vacation care services currently operated by Tamworth Regional Council, with key decisions concerning the service reportedly being considered behind closed doors and as confidential business at Council’s Ordinary Meeting on Tuesday 10 November 2026.

The Centre is located at Tamworth West Public School and has 15 employees.

Earlier this year Council withdrew from another before-and-after-school care service.

The USU is particularly concerned that a decision which could affect local workers, children and families across the region is being progressed through confidential Council processes, leaving employees and service users uncertain about their future just weeks before the Christmas period.

Luke Hutchinson, Acting Northern Industrial Officer of the USU, said the community had every right to question why such a significant decision about a vital community service was being discussed away from public view.

“This is not simply an operational decision,” said Mr  Hutchinson.

“It is a decision about the future of an important community service relied upon by working families across Tamworth. The community deserves to see that discussion take place in public, not behind closed doors.

“Workers who have dedicated years to providing high-quality care to local children are effectively being left stranded just weeks before Christmas, unsure whether they will have a job, who their future employer may be, or what their working conditions will look like.”

The USU said the lack of transparency surrounding the process had created significant uncertainty not only for employees, but also for local families who rely on the service during the school holiday period.

“Parents are now being left wondering what childcare arrangements will be available over the Christmas and New Year period, whether programs will continue uninterrupted, and what the future of these services looks like. Families deserve answers, yet they are being kept in the dark,” said Mr  Hutchinson.

The Union has also expressed concern about reports that discussions concerning the proposed closure of the service have spread beyond Council itself before formal decisions have been communicated to affected workers.

“One of our members was recently contacted by a representative of the Department of Education and asked, ‘When are you closing?” said Mr  Hutchinson.

“That is an extraordinary circumstance. It is disgraceful that external parties appear to be under the impression that the service is closing while the workers directly affected remain without certainty about their future.”

The USU said the handling of the matter had caused unnecessary distress for employees and raised serious questions about the integrity of the consultation process.

“If government agencies and third parties are already discussing the closure of the service, workers and the community are entitled to ask whether decisions have effectively already been made behind closed doors,” said Mr  Hutchinson.

The USU warned that the implications extend beyond the immediate workforce.

“The significance of affordable, reliable and trusted Out-Of-School-Hours Care services cannot be understated. The potential closure of these essential services risks creating barriers to employment for working families, while also impacting local jobs, businesses and the broader Tamworth economy,” said Mr  Hutchinson.

“The people of Tamworth deserve transparency. They deserve genuine consultation. Most importantly, they deserve the opportunity to understand why a valued local service may be fundamentally changed or removed.”

The USU is calling on Councillors to ensure any future deliberations concerning the service are conducted transparently, that workers and families are provided with certainty as a matter of urgency, and that no final decision is made until genuine consultation has occurred.

“Workers and families should not be left anxiously waiting for answers in the lead-up to Christmas. Council owes this community far better than that,” said Mr  Hutchinson.

 

Contact: Tim Brunero 0405 285 547

Contact: Luke Hutchinson 0419761323