Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) according to Volunteering Australia's Key Volunteering Statistics, volunteers contributed almost 600 million hours of voluntary work to local communities in 2019;

(b) the Australian Bureau of Statistic's General Social Survey estimates that 30 per cent of Australians, aged 15 and over, participated in volunteer work in 2019 dropping to 25 per cent in 2020; and

(c) volunteering contributes billions of dollars in economic value to the economy as well as substantial social and community value;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the recruitment efforts and operational ability of many local and national charity organisations;

(b) volunteering rates decreased substantially in 2020 and the 2021 Census showed a 19 per cent decrease in volunteering compared to the 2016 data;

(c) people in our community rely on the critical role of volunteers and any decrease in volunteering numbers impacts the most vulnerable in our community;

(d) the Government is continuing to provide support through grant programs for organisations;

(e) Australia needs a new approach to encourage people to participate with a greater focus on younger people; and

(f) the 'National Strategy for Volunteering' by Volunteering Australia is an important process in modernising Australia's volunteering systems;

(3) encourages all Australians to volunteer for the betterment of their local communities; and

(4) expresses support for the organisations and individuals who dedicate their time for the betterment of our communities.

Over the past few years, Australians have collectively experienced some of the most challenging times in decades, from a once-in-100-year pandemic to several once-in-100-year natural disasters. And, unfortunately, these challenges don't seem to be in the past. We've recently seen the devastating flood events that inundated large parts of the Kimberley and Western Australia, and the bushfires raging across Queensland. Recovery efforts for these will take months, if not years. Whilst local, state, and federal governments have a role to play in assisting those who experience difficult times, it really is the volunteers throughout our community who provide that immediate and ongoing support to those who are most vulnerable. And, whilst they don't volunteer for recognition, they absolutely deserve it.

From an economic perspective, volunteers provided almost 600 million hours of voluntary work in 2019. Whilst the exact estimates of how much this equates to for the economy are difficult to quantify, it's certainly worth billions of dollars. And that's purely economic. Socially, it's invaluable. Each hour that someone volunteers, by delivering food, cleaning our waterways or environment, fighting fires, assisting during national disasters or coaching our children, makes such a difference to our community.

Unfortunately, volunteer organisations have been severely impacted over the last few years. The casualisation of the workforce and other issues have put increased pressure on organisations at a time when volunteering rates have continued to decline. Since 2014 there has been a 20 per cent drop in volunteer hours. The Albanese government will provide an additional $4 million boost for the Volunteer Resource Centres across the country to bolster their efforts in recruiting, training and supporting volunteers. I would encourage anyone who can volunteer to do so.

As someone who has volunteered so much in the past, I know that you get much more out of the work than you put in. Helping people in the community is definitely a rewarding thing to do, and our communities, charities and NGOs depend on it. Volunteering builds social cohesion and increases wellbeing for both the volunteer and those they're helping. I commend Volunteering Australia for their new National Strategy for Volunteering. Further, the Albanese government is providing $367,000 to Volunteering Australia to assist in the strategy's implementation. Society has changed dramatically since the last strategy in 2011, so it's very important that they continue to modernise and update the approach to volunteering and recruitment.

We as members of parliament must do what we can to support and raise the volunteers in our community up. In the electorate of Werriwa, I formally recognise volunteers throughout my community. Last year was the seventh year I presented the Werriwa Volunteer Awards. The 2022 recipients were Kristy Parkes, Sharon Pietrantonio Tompsett, Cecilia Caburian, Pam Lawther, Ann Murphy, Michael Stokes, Maria Tonkin, Tisela Vaifale, Janette Wilson, Nabil Jamhour, Bruce Clark, Chris D'Arcy and Susan Reea. Thank you all for the incredible work you do in our community.

I'll be running the Werriwa Volunteers Awards again this year in May. Nominations will open in the coming weeks. In fact, a former Werriwa awardee was the Australian Volunteer of the Year, announced when the 2023 Australia Day Awards were announced. Amar Singh and Turbans 4 Australia provide meals and practical support for those experiencing difficulties caused by economic circumstances or national disasters. The 2022 Werriwa awardee, Chris D'Arcy, was Liverpool City Council's Citizen of the Year.

It's important to bring together various volunteers and organisations not only to recognise their contribution but to talk about the needs of our communities and their concerns about how we can help. For those in New South Wales, you can visit the New South Wales government website makeadifference.volunteering.nsw.gov.au, which allows you to find opportunities in organisations based on your interests, whether it's in animal welfare, the environment, the arts, communities or disaster relief. Thank you again to all the volunteers in Werriwa and all around Australia.

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Member for Werriwa for bringing forward this very important motion and for giving us the opportunity in this place to thank and celebrate the incredible work done by volunteers across our nation. Volunteering is an incredibly powerful expression of who we are, what we value and what kind of world we wish to create for ourselves, our communities, our children and future generations.

Volunteering has always been an essential part of Australian society, but it has taken on even greater significance in recent years. From recession to climate disasters to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, volunteer workers and organisations have been at the forefront of our crisis response, and they will continue to lead our nation's recovery. Volunteers provide health, disability and emergency services. They run sporting activities and environmental conservation efforts and provide patronage to the arts. The list is so long. Many of them are the linchpins of local committees, associations, clubs and schools.

The latest ABS statistics show that one in five Australians volunteer. Though we are yet to see a return to prepandemic levels, this is a huge number of people, and the significance of their contribution to the economy really needs to be noted. Volunteering efforts contribute some $46 billion to the Australian economy. It's what makes our world and our wheels continue to go around. It's important to note that this data is not inclusive of the informal volunteering work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who give back to their respective communities as well.

It's time we thanked and acknowledged those who have selflessly dedicated their time, energy and expertise towards putting the needs of others in their community before their own. As Australians move back to their normal lives in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns, the absence of volunteers and services that they make possible will become more and more apparent and concerning. Some organisations are struggling to recruit and maintain a volunteer workforce to fulfil their purpose, while some are struggling under the weight of exacerbated community demands. The decrease in volunteer numbers will diminish or eliminate activities and services that our communities rely on and will disproportionately impact society's most vulnerable. So I urge everyone to consider volunteering.

Going forward, we must continue to recognise the value of volunteering and ensure that it is adequately supported. We need the right infrastructure in place to support volunteer organisations, including better labour force planning, greater coordination of recovery responses, and additional training and guidance for volunteers and volunteer managers. We also need to ensure that we're doing all we can to make volunteering more accessible to those who want to get involved and make sure we have the right levers from a regulatory point of view.

I also urge the government to continue with their communities grants, for example, which are so important in supporting smaller organisations within our communities. Without those grants these organisations would not have gotten through the COVID period, and it is so important that those grants continue. We need to encourage greater technological adaptation among volunteer organisations which allows for more creative ways to recruit, provides more flexible ways to volunteer and facilitates a new generation's expectation of how they can contribute.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank all the organisations in Warringah who do such an amazing job, from our RFS to the SES to the communities from Meals on Wheels to OzHarvest—so many organisations doing amazing work in feeding and helping our communities. And of course I'd like to thank the Team Zali volunteers. We've seen a real engagement in politics over the last few years, where communities are really finding their voice. This is democracy at work, and it helps us do politics differently in this place. We need to engage with our communities and make sure their views and concerns are represented.

For me it simply wouldn't be possible to represent Warringah without the assistance of so many volunteers in my electorate office, and I have to say a very specific thankyou. I have volunteers on the team have been there consistently for four years now. Every day of the week, every day of the year, they are there all the time to support me. So, to all of those—they know who I'm talking about, my reception angels and so many more who are helping me—thank you so much. The community of Warringah really appreciates it and knows how important it is. Some are incredible experts in their fields, and this opportunity to give back is so important. So, I commend this motion and I thank the member—and thank you to all the volunteers.

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Werriwa for this really important motion. It's crucial that we continue to recognise and thank our volunteers, and I'm sure every member in this House knows the power of our words when we mention their names and share their stories in this House. It's an important motion, and I'm honoured to speak on it.

We often talk—and the books will tell you—about the three levels of government: federal, state and local. But, for myself, I have a passionate belief that the most important level is the fourth level: the community. In many ways, that's really represented by the amazing volunteers who give their time, give their effort and sacrifice so much. Our emergency services, our CFAs and our SES sacrifice not just their time but, in many cases, their health—both physical and mental—to serve our communities, and they don't ask for payment for that. I spoke earlier today and also last week about Black Saturday. The 14-year anniversary of that day is an important reminder for myself of the work that volunteers do, but I know that people volunteer across the country.

Recently, I shared a post on social media about the culture of the CFA and a fundraiser that the Coldstream CFA Fire Brigade were doing to raise funds. One of my constituents—someone I know well—Patrick, posed the question: why do the police and the ambulance services get paid and not have to pay for their operating costs, but our SESs and our CFAs have to turn snags and do other fundraising on top of the service that they do for our community? It's a very good question, and it's one that I believe we in this house and in state and local government should have a conversation about.

Volunteers in emergency services volunteer their time to save lives, not to turn sausages. They do that because they have to. A senior CFA member who is a volunteer suggested to me that CFAs in Victoria have to raise approximately $25,000 a year in operating costs just to keep going and to keep the doors open. I'm sure it's a very similar number across the country. It really is quite amazing that we're asking them to fundraise for themselves. I acknowledge the significant fiscal challenges that we face across the country, and historically emergency-services funding has been a state responsibility, but I believe this is a national conversation we need to have. We see more and more natural disasters on significant scales—and Black Saturday is one that I will talk a lot about, but there were significant bushfires in the summer of 2019, and clearly there are floods we have just experienced. We are asking these volunteers to do more and more with their time, and we need to support them. We need to find ways to give them the resources they need because we know that our community volunteers are the first responders who will be there. By the very nature of an emergency, we don't know when and how it's going to strike, so if we are unable to get significant paid resources—whether that be the army, professional firefighters or police—to that spot, it's always the community volunteers. It's so important that we give them the resources that they need to make sure that they can protect our community.

It's not just emergency services they give so much to our communities. In Casey we are blessed as a semirural area to have amazing township groups that not only provide a strong voice for their communities but also organise activities to support their communities. Bec Rosel recently won the Yarra Ranges Council's Citizen of the Year for organising the Lilydale Street Fair through an organisation called the Lilydale Township Action Group. That idea was born out of helping a town that was really struggling with lockdowns of COVID. That's just one of the hundreds of examples I could give. Five minutes isn't enough time to talk about all the community groups who support so much, whether it's our Rotary, our Country Women's Association or the people who support charities like homeless organisations. Like every electorate across the country, Casey is blessed to have so many amazing volunteers, and I thank them for the time and the commitment that they give to our community. I thank their families because, in many ways, their families don't see as much of them as they could because they are serving our community. Those partners and children and family do that because they know they are giving back to make a stronger community.

Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Werriwa for this very important motion. I was reminded again of how important volunteering is when I was in a mobile office at the Wheelers Hill Shopping Centre in my electorate of Chisolm and I ran into friends from the Lions Club of Wheelers Hill, who were doing an amazing job raising money for the people suffering in Turkiye and Syria as a result of the earthquakes. I had a very good conversation with them about the contribution that they make to the community. They had a full day of activities planned right around the electorate, giving back to a community that they and I love.

Volunteers, I think it's safe to say, are the heart of our community. They keep so many organisations going, whether they be sporting clubs, civic organisations, neighbourhood watches or emergency service groups. I was brought up in a family most members of which volunteered in various organisations, so the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community was instilled in me from a very young age. Volunteering at the local op shop, at the hospital kiosk, in music groups, by tutoring asylum seekers and with food rescue charities—these are different organisations that I and members of my family have participated in. Personally, I found it very enriching.

One of the very first announcements that I was able to make as a candidate during the election campaign was to reinstate an initiative that had been implemented by the wonderful former member for Chisolm Anna Burke—the Caroline Chisolm awards.

My electorate is named for one of Australia's most famous volunteers, Caroline Chisholm, who dedicated her life to civic service and to looking after the people around her in all of the communities that she lived in throughout her life. We held the Caroline Chisolm Awards last year around International Volunteers Day in December. It was my absolute honour to give a platform in our community to the people who give so much to the people around them. I want to name the Caroline Chisolm Award recipients here today because I can't acknowledge them enough, so at every opportunity that I have to name them I will take it!

I want to acknowledge Lingling Zan; John Elliott; Wendy Hui Jiang and Polly Feng; Janice Heeley; Ling Wang; Lei Zhao, Don Cheyne; Sandra Robertson; Binyu Wang and Huiliang Ji; Ken Calder; Rongzong Lin; Johnny Hung Kwong Yu; Tess McBaron; Martika Lu; Bing Du; and Cheryl Webster. All of these people do work in so many different kinds of organisations: sporting groups, musical groups and through churches and neighbourhood houses, and with people of all different ages and from all walks of life. Particularly after the last few years of the pandemic, which was very challenging for communities, the fact that the people who had volunteered in the past jumped straight back into action and revived a lot of groups that may not have been able to meet during the very worst parts of the pandemic has been extraordinary. A lot of these groups are really roaring back to life. In December I was able to enjoy many Christmas events with a lot of these organisations, and this gave me another opportunity to say thank you for everything they do.

I think there's always a role for governments to do more to support the people in our communities who give so much of their time. That's why I'm really delighted that we have announced an inquiry into philanthropy and into ways that we can make it easier for people to give money and resources to people who set up the community groups that we would be lost without right across Australia. I'm looking forward to doing whatever I can in my local community to support the community groups and volunteers that enrich Chisholm, and I look forward to being part of a government that will do what it can to support the people who support our communities.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank volunteers across the country and encourage even more Australians to volunteer and to invest in their communities. I hope that this week's National Volunteering Conference in Canberra will leave attendees feeling valued and reinvigorated. The work you do is so incredibly important. So I rise to speak in support of this motion.

Last year saw the release of the National Strategy for Volunteering, which is due to be finalised and launched this month. We can't afford to take volunteering for granted. We know that, essentially, volunteering underpins the work of our community. The Volunteering Australia 2022 report provides an evidence base for this, with insight into the recent decline in volunteering. We have seen that decline over the last two decades but, in particular, we have seen a dramatic fall since COVID, and it just hasn't recovered. This worries me deeply and I know it worries many people in my community. We need to find ways for volunteers to reengage or to engage in the first place, and also to find ways to retain the volunteers that we currently have.

One thing that really concerns me, and many in my community, is funding for the National Network of Volunteer Resource Centres, known as VRCs. They are a vital part of Australia's existing volunteer ecosystem and they need to be retained. Last October the network reported that over half of the centres in the country were set to close or reduce services after changes to the funding model in mid-2022. That cut $3.4 million from the VRCs' direct budget and, again, we saw inadequate funding in last October's budget. They fill a vital role—effectively being the connector and the support base for volunteers and organisations looking for volunteers. I'm told they're pretty much out of reserves; many are effectively closing now.

I'd like to give a couple of examples of Southern Volunteering in South Australia, one of the volunteer resource centres in my community, which has made volunteering accessible and inclusive for everyone. It worked with a person with cerebral palsy who was unable to communicate through speech and who used a wheelchair. This person had applied online for so many volunteering roles without success, but they were able to gain a meaningful role with a not-for-profit, and this has changed that volunteer's life. Now, that wouldn't have happened if we didn't have the volunteer resource centre.

The VRC helped to identify suitable volunteer roles for a recently unemployed 27-year-old former baker, who was struggling to move into retail without having retail experience. The VRC provided referrals, it provided introductions. It supported a socially isolated person in their 60s who was seeking skills, confidence, and online awareness to re-enter the workforce independently. It identified volunteer roles, contacted organisations and guided them through online requirements and paperwork. It referred a young person with mental health issues by identifying roles aligned with their interests and referral to an organisation it knew would be supportive. That young person is loving their life and is loving the work they're doing.

Southern Volunteering is just one of these VRCs around the country that's facing closure. How shameful would it be that they have to close just because of $3.4 million of funding that they receive annually? That's small change in the federal budget, yet we know these organisations do a power of good and really make every dollar count like it's $10. If we don't provide this support to these organisations, this very small amount of government funding, how can we then say that we really do value volunteering? Money talks, and, really, $3.4 million is such a small amount. I urge the government to reconsider this funding cut in this federal budget, because if we say we support volunteering and we value volunteers, let's put our money where our mouth is. Thank you.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.