Queensland Consolidated Regulations

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS - REG 239A

239A Centre-based services in remote and very remote areas—attendance of early childhood teachers

(1) This regulation applies—

(a) until 31 December 2021, in the case of a centre-based service located in a remote area or very remote area of Queensland; and

(b) until 31 December 2024, in the case of a centre-based service located in a remote area or very remote area of New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania or Western Australia.

(2) The centre-based service may meet the requirements of regulation 132(1) or 272(1A) for attendance of an early childhood teacher if the service has access to an early childhood teacher working with the service at least 20 per cent of the time that the service provides education and care.

(2A) The centre-based service may meet the requirements of regulation 133(1) or 134(1) for attendance of an early childhood teacher if—

(a) the service has access to an early childhood teacher working with the service at least 40 per cent of the time that the service provides education and care; or

(b) the service has access to—

(i) an early childhood teacher working with the service at least 20 per cent of the time that the service provides education and care; and

(ii) a second early childhood teacher or a suitably qualified person working with the service at least 20 per cent of the time that the service provides education and care.

(3) To comply with subregulation (2) or (2A), the early childhood teacher or suitably qualified person may be working with the service by means of information communication technology.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation, the period that an early childhood teacher or suitably qualified person works with the centre-based service may be calculated on a quarterly basis.

(5) In this regulation and regulation 240—

"ARIA+" score means the score calculated in accordance with the ARIA+ Index, produced by the University of Adelaide;

"remote area" , in relation to the location of a centre-based service, means a geographic area that is Remote Australia (average ARIA+ score greater than 5.92 but less than or equal to 10.53) in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard: Volume 5 - Remoteness Structure. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat No. 1270.0.55.005;

"very remote area" , in relation to the location of a centre-based service, means a geographic area that is Very Remote Australia (ARIA+ score greater than 10.53) in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard: Volume 5 - Remoteness Structure. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat No. 1270.0.55.00.