Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank my friend the member for Werriwa for bringing this very important motion forward. We all know that the work of our local volunteers is a critical and valuable element of our community. The work is done day in day out, week in week out, every month of the year, without their asking for recognition or special awards. They do not seek any benefits other than knowing that they have made a positive contribution to our community. Volunteers turn a suburb into a community. But, as I said, the vast majority of volunteers rarely seek acknowledgement for their services and are often amongst some of our most humble and modest citizens. I take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to all our volunteers. Please know that we do notice your efforts and that your community does recognise the invaluable role you play to make our people's lives richer and better.

According to Volunteering Australian, our amazing volunteers contributed a staggering 600 million hours of voluntary work to their local communities in 2019. We have all done it: turned a snag at Bunnings for a local netball team, helped the local footy team on game day by running a raffle or cleaning out the sheds, helped the local RFS in their time of need, or established or worked with local Lions or Rotary clubs to deliver a much-needed project for our community. We have volunteers who work tirelessly in the homelessness space, advocating for human rights and looking after veterans and seniors—our local RSL subbranch and places like Southlakes Incorporated and Mum's Cottage. We have hundreds of volunteers in the Hunter electorate who deliver hundreds of thousands of meals each year to people at home through Meals on Wheels.

Whether it is a flood, a fire, an earthquake or a cyclone, Australians are the best in the world at volunteering in trying and challenging times. We all know of the vital and important community support provided by our police, fire and ambulance services, and for this we are truly grateful. But I would also like to pay tribute and give thanks to our SES, the RFS and the VRA volunteers. Too often, we hear of volunteers who've lost their own property due to fire or flood while they were away helping others. It is this selfless determination to assist others during testing times that defines the principles of what it takes to be a volunteer, and the list goes on and on.

To be honest, we wouldn't have what we have here in Australia without our volunteers. Obviously, COVID has played a large part in the dramatic reduction in the number of hours people have given over the last three years. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' General society survey estimates that only 30 per cent of Australians aged 15 and over participated in volunteer work in 2019, and that dropped to 25 per cent in 2020. Put simply, we are volunteering less than we used to. We are not only less likely to volunteer but also less likely to join community organisations or play team sports. We've got fewer actual friends than we did in the 1980s, and we know fewer of our neighbours than we used to. We've become disconnected.

We saw the previous government's attacks on charities but, now that the adults are in charge, we've ended the war on charities and are working with volunteers and charities to build a more reconnected Australia. Last week, the government announced a once-in-a-generation review of Australian philanthropy, to be undertaken by the Productivity Commission. The goal of the review is to boost donations to charities and meet the Australian government's goal of doubling philanthropic giving by 2030. I give thanks to our Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, the Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh, who is driving this change.

We are all guilty of being time poor. However, I encourage everyone to consider their potential to volunteer. Everyone can make a difference, and we know the positive impacts that volunteering can have on local communities, and its value to them. I will always support the organisations and individuals who dedicate their time for the betterment of our communities.

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