2025 WAIRC 00489
Child Care (Lady Gowrie Child Centre) Award

1B. - MINIMUM ADULT AWARD WAGE

(1) No employee aged 21 or more shall be paid less than the minimum adult award wage unless otherwise provided by this clause.

(2) The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $953.00 per week.

The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under awards that provide for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $953.00 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time employee under the award.

The minimum adult award wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(3) The minimum adult award wage is deemed to include all State Wage order adjustments from State Wage Case decisions.

(4) Unless otherwise provided in this clause adults aged 21 or more employed as casuals, part-time employees or piece workers or employees who are remunerated wholly on the basis of payment by results, shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult award wage according to the hours worked.

(5) Employees under the age of 21 shall be paid no less than the wage determined by applying the percentage prescribed in the junior rates provision in this award (if applicable) to the minimum adult award wage, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(6) The minimum adult award wage shall not apply to apprentices, employees engaged on traineeships or government approved work placement programs or employed under the Commonwealth Government Supported Wage System or to other categories of employees who by prescription are paid less than the minimum award rate, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(7) Liberty to apply is reserved in relation to any special category of employees not included here or otherwise in relation to the application of the minimum adult award wage.

(8) Subject to this clause the minimum adult award wage shall –

(a) Apply to all work in ordinary hours.

(b) Apply to the calculation of overtime and all other penalty rates, superannuation, payments during any period of paid leave and for all purposes of this award.

(9) Minimum Adult Award Wage

The rates of pay in this award include the minimum weekly wage for employees aged 21 or more payable under the 2025 State Wage order. Any increase arising from the insertion of the minimum wage will be offset against any equivalent amount in rates of pay received by employees whose wages and conditions of employment are regulated by this award which are above the wage rates prescribed in the award. Such above award payments include wages payable pursuant to enterprise agreements, consent awards or award variations to give effect to enterprise agreements and over award arrangements. Absorption which is contrary to the terms of an agreement is not required.

Increases under previous State Wage Case Principles or under the current Statement of Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset the minimum wage.

(10) Adult Apprentices

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause, the minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $791.30 per week.

(b) The minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $791.30 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time apprentice under the award.

(c) The minimum adult apprentice wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(d) Adult apprentices aged 21 years or more employed on a part-time basis shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult apprentice wage according to the hours worked.

(e) The rates paid in the paragraphs above to an apprentice 21 years of age or more are payable on superannuation and during any period of paid leave prescribed by this award.

(f) Where in this award an additional rate is expressed as a percentage, fraction or multiple of the ordinary rate of pay, it shall be calculated upon the rate prescribed in this award for the actual year of apprenticeship.




23. - WAGES

The minimum weekly rate of wage payable to persons employed pursuant to this clause shall be:



$(Per Week)
A.S.N.A.$
TOTALWAGE$
(1)
Child Care Support Employee Grade One - Cleaner
412.60
569.30
981.90

Child Care Support Employee Grade One Kitchen Hand
419.30
571.20
990.50

Child Care Support Employee - Grade Two




Step I
423.50
572.40
995.90

Step II
431.80
574.90
1006.70

Child Care/Trades Employee
465.20
589.90
1055.10

Child Care Giver




Step I
412.60
569.30
981.90

Step II
422.00
571.90
993.90

Step III
431.50
574.70
1006.20

Step IV
441.00
577.60
1018.60

Step V
451.10
580.20
1031.30

Step VI
462.00
583.60
1045.60

Qualified Child Care Giver




Step 1A
488.00
598.70
1086.70

Step 1B
506.00
605.40
1111.40

Step II
520.40
607.90
1128.30

Step III
534.60
613.60
1148.20

Step IV
549.10
618.90
1168.00





(2)
Assistant Co-ordinator Grade One




Step I
556.90
621.80
1178.70

Step II
562.40
623.80
1186.20

Step III
570.00
629.60
1199.60

Assistant Co-ordinator Grade Two




Step I
562.40
623.80
1186.20

Step II
570.00
629.60
1199.60

Step III
577.50
632.10
1209.60

Assistant Co-ordinator Grade Three




Step I
570.00
629.60
1199.60

Step II
577.50
632.10
1209.60

Step III
591.50
637.50
1229.00






(3) (a) Except as otherwise provided for in this subclause and subclause (3) of this clause, progression from step to step for Child Care Support Employees Grade One and Two, Child Care Giver, Qualified Child Care Giver, Assistant Co-ordinator Grades One, Two and Three, and Early Childhood Educator will be contingent upon:

(i) 12 months' service at each step; and

(ii) satisfactory performance at each step.

(b) An employee employed as a Child Care Giver on completion of an introductory child care course shall immediately progress by one additional step beyond that previously determined in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subclause. Additional steps shall be determined in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subclause.

(c) An employee who has not attained the age of 20 years shall be paid a percentage of the rate applicable to an adult employee performing the same work, taking into account the provisions for progression specified in this clause and taking into account any relevant qualifications. The percentages of the adult rate shall be:


% of adult rate


At or under 16 years of age
60
At 17 years of age
70
At 18 years of age
80
At 19 years of age
90
Thereafter the adult rate


(d) An employee at Step IA Qualified Child Care Giver shall be a 2 year trained person as per Clause 26. - Classification and Skill Descriptors of this award, with no previous experience in the industry. At the completion of 12 months satisfactory performance that person shall be paid the Step II rate.

(e) An employee in their first year of employment shall be paid at Step IB Qualified Child Care Giver in accordance with Clause 23. - Wages of this award and shall be:

(i) a person with a 2 year qualification as per Clause 26. - Classification and Skill Descriptors of this award, and previous experience in the industry; or

(ii) a 3 or 4 year qualification as per Clause 26. - Classification and Skill Descriptors of this award, with no previous experience in the industry.

(f) An employee in their first year of employment as a Qualified Child Care Giver shall be paid at Step II Qualified Child Care Giver in accordance with Clause 23. - Wages of this award and shall be:

(i) a person with a 3 or 4 year qualification; and

(ii) previous experience in the industry.

(g) A person who is appointed Assistant Co-ordinator Grades One, Two or Three will be appointed in accordance with the definition outlined in Clause 26. - Classification Definitions and Skill Descriptors subclause (5) of this award, provided that an employer may appoint an Assistant Co-ordinator, to a higher grade according to their level of qualification.

(h) Where an employee is appointed to act as the Co-ordinator of a Centre for more than four days, that person shall be paid for the whole of that period as Co-ordinator according to their level of qualification.

(4) Early Childhood Educators:

(a)
Salary Level
$ Per Annum
A.S.N.A.
Total Annual
Per Week

Step I
27105
31702
58807
1127.30

Step II
28644
32287
60931
1168.00

Step III
29974
32928
62902
1205.80

Step IV
31200
33377
64577
1237.90

Step V
32431
33852
66283
1270.60

Step VI
33970
34436
68406
1311.30

Step VII
35661
34926
70587
1353.10

Step VIII
37043
35437
72480
1389.40

Step IX
38170
35860
74030
1419.10

Step X
39709
36444
76153
1459.80

Step XI
41242
37024
78266
1500.30







(b) Three year trained educator holding a Diploma of Teaching, or equivalent, or an educator holding a University Degree (other than a Bachelor of Education):

Enter Step I
Exit Step VII

(c) Early Childhood Educator holding:

(i) University degree and Diploma of Education; or
(ii) University degree and Teacher's Certificate; or
(iii) Bachelor of Education degree

Enter Step III
Exit Step XI

(d) Early Childhood Educator holding the qualifications outlined in paragraph (c) of this subclause above plus a second degree or higher degree such as a graduate diploma or a degree at honours level:

Enter Step IV
Exit Step XI

(e) A casual Early Childhood Educator shall be paid the appropriate salary for an Early Childhood Educator plus a salary loading of 27%.

(f) Early Childhood Educators transferring between employers or changing employment shall retain their position on the incremental scale and continue to progress through the scale by annual increment.

(g) On ceasing employment with an employer the employee shall be given written notice of his or her incremental increase date to be passed on to the next employer.

(5) Co-ordinator:



$ Per Week
A.S.N.A.
TOTAL WAGE
(a)
Step I
591.50
637.50
1229.00

Step II
619.50
648.20
1267.70

Step III
642.10
656.40
1298.50

Step IV
672.60
665.30
1337.90

Step V
704.00
677.10
1381.10

Step VI
729.50
686.80
1416.30

Step VII
744.30
692.30
1436.60

Step VIII
782.60
706.70
1489.30

Step IX
811.00
717.50
1528.50






(b) A Co-ordinator will be graded in accordance with paragraphs (d) to (h) (inclusive) of this subclause.

Co-ordinator is as defined in Clause 26. - Classification Definition and Skill Descriptors of this award:

(c) Within the grade of Co-ordinator the following categories of progression shall apply:

(i) Co-ordinator Grade One is as defined in Clause 26 of this award:

- a Co-ordinator with two year or three year training, (as defined in paragraph (f) of this subclause):

Enter Step I
Exit Step IV

- a Co-ordinator with four year training, (as defined in paragraph (f) of this subclause):

Enter Step III
Exit Step VI

(ii) Co-ordinator Grade Two is as defined in Clause 26 of this award:

- a Co-ordinator with two year or three year training, (as defined in paragraph (f) of this subclause):

Enter Step III
Exit Step VI

- a Co-ordinator with four year training (as defined in paragraph (f) of this subclause):

Enter Step V
Exit Step VIII

(iii) Co-ordinator Grade Three is as defined in Clause 26 of this award:

- a Co-ordinator with two year or three year training, (as defined in paragraph (f) of this subclause):

Enter Step V
Exit Step VIII

- a Co-ordinator Director with four year training (as defined in paragraph (f) of this subclause):

Enter Step VII
Exit Step IX

(d) In addition to the grading, level of training and experience relevant to determining the appropriate rate of pay for a Co-ordinator an employer may advance a Co-ordinator beyond the steps/increments provided for, taking into account such factors as:

(i) number of sites supervised, size of centre(s) including number of places centre(s) licensed to cover and/or total number of children taken into care; and/or

(ii) hours of operation of the centre; and/or

(iii) other factors relevant to the exercise of increased skills and responsibilities by the Co-ordinator.

(e) "Two year, three year and four year trained" refers to a tertiary or post secondary qualification which is relevant to the position of Co-ordinator. Where there is a dispute as to whether a qualification is relevant to the position of Co-ordinator it shall be determined by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

(f) A Co-ordinator and the Committee or other managing body of the Centre shall be at liberty to negotiate and set a higher salary bearing in mind the duties and responsibilities of the Co-ordinator. Any agreement to select a higher rate shall be reduced to writing and shall entitle that Co-ordinator whilst employed at the Centre to the agreed salary level as if this award had expressly provided such an entitlement. Any such agreement may be rescinded only by mutual consent.

(g) Nothing in this provision shall be deemed to prevent the negotiation of salary for an Administrator/Co-ordinator above the minimum standards prescribed in this award.

(h) Except as provided hereunder, in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this subclause progression from step to step for Co-ordinator will be contingent upon:

(i) 12 months' service at each step; and

(ii) satisfactory performance at each step.

(6) On ceasing employment with an employer, the employee shall be given a written statement of the current Level and Step if appropriate and the date of commencement at that Level and Step to be passed on to the next employer.

(7) It is a condition that no employee shall suffer a reduction in wages by reasons of the coming into operation of any order of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission in the implementation of the minimum rates adjustments.

(8) The rates of pay in this award include arbitrated safety net adjustments available since December 1993, under the Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustment Principle.

These arbitrated safety net adjustments may be offset against any equivalent amount in the rate of pay received by employees since 1 November 1991 above the rate prescribed in the Award, except where such absorption is contrary to the terms of an industrial agreement.

Increases in rates of pay otherwise made under the State Wage Case Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset arbitrated safety net adjustments.

(9) Wage relativities in the Award have been established in accordance with the September 1989 State Wage Case Decision ([1989] 69 WAIG 2917).