Shorten reveals childcare policy, Turnbull pledges cash for threatened animals

A federal Labor government would pledge more money for child care, saying the policy is funded by scrapping government pledges.

Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten visits a childcare centre in Glen Waverley as part of the 2016 election campaign in Melbourne Source: AAP

Labor will increase the childcare rebate by 15 per cent, leaving some families up to $31 per week better off.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will be in Melbourne on Sunday to reveal the plan, which also raises the childcare rebate cap from $7500 to $10,000.

Labor says that will mean more than 107,000 families won't hit the cap this financial year.

Mr Shorten says the policy - which starts January 1, 2017 - will be funded by scrapping Liberal Party policies.

"Right now, too many families have their pay packet eaten up by child care," Mr Shorten said.

"Better child care is essential to a growing economy."

The package includes:

• New transparency and accountability standards
• $50 million for improvements in family day care
• Increasing services for indigenous children and remote kids by 15 per cent
• $150 million to develop early education work force.

Mr Shorten will be joined by opposition spokeswoman for early childhood education Kate Ellis in Melbourne to reveal the policy.

In an announcement timed to coincide with World Environment Day, the Turnbull government is pledging cash to protect species at risk of dying out.

Turnbull pledges cash for threatened animals

Malcolm Turnbull is set to promise a special $5 million kitty to help community groups protect threatened animals and plants on Sunday, if the coalition wins on July 2.

"Protecting our vulnerable wildlife is not a task governments can do alone," he said.

Nine projects have been earmarked so far:

• WA groups will receive assistance to save rare potoroos marsupials and bandicoots.
• Queensland groups will use the money to protect cassowaries from feral pigs, save the mahogany glider's habitat and help the Ormeau Bottle Tree thrive.
• A NSW group will restore saltmarsh habitat for migratory shorebirds in the Hunter region.
• A Tasmanian group will eradicate feral cats in the Meander Valley to give the eastern barred bandicoots and eastern quolls a better chance at survival.
• Victorian groups will do propagation and re-vegetation work to promote populations of helmeted honey eaters at Yellingbo and plant native shrubs in the Terrick Terrick national park.

The election promise builds on the coalition's strategy to save 20 priority bird species, 20 mammals and 30 plants by 2020 and cull two million feral cats.

Meanwhile, the government will devote $3.59 million to Australia's national criminal intelligence agency to test waste water for ice hotspots and other drug use.

The Australian Crime Commission project could ultimately lead police to dealers and drug labs.

It might also help authorities to identify gangs dealing drugs and link illegal substances to international crime syndicates.

"Crooks are more sophisticated than ever before and we need to be smarter and more agile," Mr Turnbull said.

The program will cover all capital cities and key regional areas and was a recommendation from a national taskforce tackling the methamphetamine epidemic.

The prime minister will join Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Melbourne on Sunday afternoon at a wreath laying ceremony to mark the centenary of the Returned Services League.