Dear Santa,
We are a town of 3,600 amazing people in Outback Queensland, home of stunning rugged landscapes, red ranges, spinifex for miles and sunsets that are the envy of the world. The Royal Flying Doctor Service started right here! We are a booming outback community, and we are desperate for an Early Childhood Teacher. In fact, we need a few. There's almost 100 kids ready to welcome them with the most fantastic outback handshake imaginable. Can you help?
From, the people of Cloncurry
After advertising for 12 months, and with a multi-million dollar new Early Learning Centre in development, Cloncurry in Outback Queensland has taken to messaging Santa in the hope of the best present possible – an Early Childhood Teacher!
Cloncurry Shire Mayor Greg Campbell urged graduates and staff in the sector to look past the Great Diving Range, way past it, to the Outback, and to a teaching experience unlike any other.
"Imagine teaching young minds in the legendary Queensland Outback, it's the stuff books are written about! Cloncurry is a fast-growing, dynamic community that attracts many young families and professionals. We need to be able to support our local families and new families by providing access to fantastic childcare places. To do this we need staff," he said.
The package being offered for the Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) includes a salary of $105,000 + superannuation, accommodation, five weeks leave annually, one RDO each month, and relocation expenses of $2,000 at the start of the contract and $2,000 at end of the contract. The initial contract is for 12 months, with extension possibilities.
The Curry Kids Early Learning Centre provides long day care services with 58 places, and is open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The children are grouped by age into four rooms: babies, toddlers, tweenies and kindy. Given that space is no problem in Cloncurry, there's lots of it for playtime, with the centre also incorporating sustainability into everyday practices, which means there's a vegetable and herb garden, all cared for by the kids. Cloncurry shire council also supports educators to go on to tertiary education, including undergraduate and postgraduate studies
In addition to the 58 current places at Curry Kids, there are 34 children on the waitlist, most of them aged 0-2 years.
The calls to Santa come as Cloncurry Shire Council recently announced it has been awarded $4,393,200 in grant funding from the State Government towards a new childcare facility.
The Curry Kids Early Learning Centre project is proudly funded by the Queensland Government's Resource Community Infrastructure Fund Round 2, in association with Cloncurry Shire Council. The Resources Community Infrastructure Fund is a voluntary partnership between the Queensland Government and the resources industry.
"This funding is critical to getting this project happening, creating a Curry Kids Early Learning Centre that will be fit to meet the needs of our community," said Mayor Campbell.
"There will always be a strong demand for childcare in the Shire; the new facility has the potential to alleviate the strain of childcare on local families and businesses. A new facility that has the potential to double the capacity of the service will have a positive impact on the local economy," he said.
"Childcare is a key obstacle for parents looking to return to work. If the Shire can offer childcare services to more families, more parents will be afforded the opportunity to return to the workforce and it will remove a barrier for businesses trying to attract new families to the area."
"So, come to Cloncurry; the kids are here and the country is spectacular!"
Early Childhood Education Teacher Job in Cloncurry, Western QLD - SEEK
Early Childhood Group Leader Job in Cloncurry, Western QLD - SEEK
ABOUT CLONCURRY
Few places can claim to be as influential in shaping Australia as Cloncurry; birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and destination of the first Qantas flight. It is a community that celebrates outback life - the true Australian way.
- Cloncurry is located 780 kilometres west of Townsville, 120 kilometres east of Mount Isa and 1700 kilometres north west of Brisbane, nestled on the banks of the Cloncurry River
- Key industries in Cloncurry include transport, mining, pastoral and tourism.
- Population in the Cloncurry Shire is 3,644 people
- Main township in the Shire is Cloncurry, with Dajarra a small indigenous community 170 south west from Cloncurry and hamlets of Burke and Wills (three ways), Kajabbi, Duchess and Quamby
