❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding the Department of Communities’ Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU) investigations and compliance actions from 2017-2025. The data reveals a significant increase in matters referred and actions taken, particularly in recent years.
AnsweredQoN 1676Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Department of Communities’ Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU), and I ask: (a) How many matters were referred to ECRU for investigation in each of the following calendar years: (i) 2025; (ii) 2024; (iii) 2023; (iv) 2022; (v) 2021; (vi) 2020; (vii) 2019; (viii) 2018; and (ix) 2017; (b) For each of the years listed in (a), how many of those matters were taken up and investigated; (c) For each of the years listed in (a), how many of those matters resulted in some form of adverse compliance action being taken by ECRU; and (d) Please provide a breakdown of the actions taken in (c) by category of action and year?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
5 May 2026
Responded by
Minister for Early Childhood
Response time
13 days
(a)
(i) 2025: 6,138
(ii) 2024: 4,982
(iii) 2023: 4,589
(iv) 2022: 9,477
(v) 2021: 3,597
(vi) 2020: 2,731
(vii) 2019: 2,354
(viii) 2018: 2,195
(ix) 2017: 2,106
(b) All matters were investigated.
(c) Reporting capabilities within the national system were limited prior to 2019. Therefore, the reported figures for 2017 to 2019 are estimated.
(i) 2025: 1,720
(ii) 2024: 1,548
(iii) 2023: 1,446
(iv) 2022: 1,812
(v) 2021: 1,030
(vi) 2020: 502
(vii) 2019: 384
(viii) 2018: 446
(ix) 2017: 396
(d) Please note that several compliance actions can be taken for the one matter.
Compliance Action classification
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Administrative
576
673
496
463
892
1219
1256
1286
1482
Show Cause
17
10
1
7
13
7
20
25
45
Statutory
97
169
82
64
78
110
145
217
386
Total
690
849
579
534
983
1336
1421
1528
1913
(i) 2025: 6,138
(ii) 2024: 4,982
(iii) 2023: 4,589
(iv) 2022: 9,477
(v) 2021: 3,597
(vi) 2020: 2,731
(vii) 2019: 2,354
(viii) 2018: 2,195
(ix) 2017: 2,106
(b) All matters were investigated.
(c) Reporting capabilities within the national system were limited prior to 2019. Therefore, the reported figures for 2017 to 2019 are estimated.
(i) 2025: 1,720
(ii) 2024: 1,548
(iii) 2023: 1,446
(iv) 2022: 1,812
(v) 2021: 1,030
(vi) 2020: 502
(vii) 2019: 384
(viii) 2018: 446
(ix) 2017: 396
(d) Please note that several compliance actions can be taken for the one matter.
Compliance Action classification
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Administrative
576
673
496
463
892
1219
1256
1286
1482
Show Cause
17
10
1
7
13
7
20
25
45
Statutory
97
169
82
64
78
110
145
217
386
Total
690
849
579
534
983
1336
1421
1528
1913
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