Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Volunteering is something that is sadly in decline in our society. It needs to be encouraged so it does not become a thing of the past. In my travels throughout Mallee recently, I had the pleasure of meeting dedicated volunteers Bernice Murray, Jan Donnan and Keren Smith in Swan Hill. These lovely ladies are some of our highly valuable volunteers whose joy it is to go into nursing homes and sing. Their voices not only lift the spirits of those in the homes but also help connect patients who suffer with dementia.

Their passion for volunteering, however, is facing barriers. They spoke to me about the red tape and costs that prevent them continuing to visit nursing homes—in particular, the new NDIS screening volunteer application pack that has replaced the usual working with children check and police check documentation. It takes a tedious length of time to attain it, it's expensive, and meanwhile it's the nursing home residents who miss out. This is ridiculous, and it is not the fault of the nursing homes. It is incumbent on the government to simplify this and make this process cheaper, because they can and because it's the right thing to do. Otherwise, volunteers such as Bernice, Jan and Keren will just have to walk away.