Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to report the Albanese Labor government is delivering around $5.8 million over five years for six organisations to provide emergency and food relief for struggling families and individuals in my electorate, including terrific local community organisations like Ipswich Assist, Leichhardt One Mile Community Centre and Riverview Community Centre, as well as bigger charities like Vinnies. We are also providing $2.1 million over five years to three organisations which are helping people in Ipswich to access financial counselling, including people facing financial hardship due to gambling: the Salvos, Each Ipswich and Women's Legal Service Queensland. I know many people in my electorate are doing it tough, and services like this are seeing a big increase in requests for assistance. That's why this funding will help families and individuals in Ipswich who may be facing hard choices, like a choice between buying new school shoes and doing a grocery shop, or between keeping the lights on and paying their phone bills.

I visited one of the funding recipients, local charity Ipswich Assist, before the election to see firsthand their emergency relief work. They provide year-round assistance to people, including basic food staples, utility bills, rent assistance, pharmacy support and local op shop referrals. Just the other week, I dropped in on another grant recipient, the Salvos' Moneycare Ipswich financial counselling service, who are doing a fantastic job supporting locals with debts, gambling problems and other financial issues and helping people deal with their cost-of-living issues. Combined with Labor's tax cuts, increased wages, cheaper medicines, cuts to student debt, increases in Commonwealth rent assistance and energy bill relief, this boost to emergency and food relief and financial wellbeing support is just another way the Albanese government is helping to address the cost-of-living challenge for people in my community and making sure no-one's left behind.

I want to congratulate the 14 community groups and sporting clubs who've received $100,000 in funding in total in the latest round of the government's Stronger Communities Program. Charities, including sporting clubs, got this funding, with individual grants ranging from $3,204 to $10,000. Local organisations that are successful recipients include Ipswich Hospice, with $10,000 to concrete brick paver paths; Ipswich Kindergarten in Milford Street, where I went to kindy, which received $10,000 to replace ageing shade sails; North Ipswich Bowls Club in Ipswich, which received $10,000 for energy efficiency and LED lighting; the Vedanta Centre's Maa Sarada soup kitchen in the Greater Springfield area, which received a $10,000 grant; and the Rosewood & District Community Kindergarten in Rosewood, which received $10,000 for new upgraded electrical appliances and equipment. Money also went to the Somerset region for local community organisations.

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