Dozens of dodgy childcare providers across Sydney have been named and shamed on a new public register as part of the Turnbull government's crackdown on fraud in the notorious day care sector.

The hit list shows 59 shonky operators in NSW have had their federal funding cancelled or suspended since July 2016 – accounting for a third of the 179 centres pinged across Australia.

The new public register names and shames 179 childcare providers to be pinged by the federal government. Credit:Louie Douvis

The loss of Commonwealth subsidies does not automatically shut down a childcare centre – that is generally a matter for the states – but it makes it very difficult for the facility to operate.

For the first time, the federal government has named and shamed offenders on a public register, released overnight, which showed the shysters were concentrated in Sydney's south-west.