IPART review of affordability, accessibility and consumer choice
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is reviewing the early learning sector to assess the affordability, accessibility and consumer choice in NSW.
IPART is an independent NSW Government agency which conducts reviews through a transparent and impartial process.
IPART will recommend ways to improve affordability, accessibility and consumer choice in early childhood education and care in NSW. It will not be considering price regulation. IPART does not intend to negatively impact quality and safety outcomes through any of its recommendations.
IPART will deliver an interim report for public comment in October 2023 and a final report to Government by December 2023. Find out more about the IPART review.
The IPART Review is being conducted around the same time as an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) price inquiry into childcare.
The IPART Review is different from the ACCC inquiry. The IPART Review will examine different questions and issues to the ACCC inquiry, with a focus on the distinct NSW sector, including how supply and demand affect affordability, accessibility and consumer choice.
The IPART Review will also look at all parts of the early learning sector in NSW, including community, mobile and public preschools, unlike the ACCC inquiry.
The NSW Department of Education is in regular communication with the Commonwealth to promote alignment between the IPART Review and the ACCC price inquiry. We acknowledge that there is some burden on the sector to participate in both the IPART Review and the ACCC price inquiry, but this is a great opportunity for the sector to contribute to collecting essential information to help guide policy development and future funding decisions. IPART and the ACCC are cooperating and want to make this as easy as possible for the sector to share information with both agencies.