Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am proud to have supported local community groups and their volunteers through grants for improved infrastructure, new equipment and boosted funding. In total, more than $1.2 million has been provided to local community organisations in my community of Dobell through the Stronger Communities Program and more than $500,000 has been provided through the Volunteer Grants program. This year alone I was proud to secure almost $129,000 for 12 different community groups through the Stronger Communities grants and almost $65,000 for 17 local organisations through the Volunteer Grants.

These grants support the vital work of volunteers like the Wamberal Rural Fire Brigade. I had the pleasure of sharing the news with Tracy McDermott that they had been successful in receiving a grant of over $220,000 for new radio equipment. Tracy told me that this funding will mean every firefighter will have a radio when attending a job, which is vital to information sharing and community safety. Tracy said to me:

This now means every fire fighter has a fire ground radio when they're on shift. ALL volunteers on shift are now hearing ALL safety alerts, changes in weather and fire ground alerts. The remaining funding is to go toward purchasing additional batteries for the radios. Now we can change the batteries during the shift so there is continued safety on the job.

I also spoke to Julie from Marine Rescue Norah Head and shared with her that they had been successful in receiving a grant of $480,000 for the latest technology, including radios. Julie said to me:

This funding is vital to ensure our volunteers remain up to date with both technology and training. It is essential that we keep up to date with the latest positioning instruments used in emergencies, as well as the constantly evolving software that supports our operations. Ongoing training is critical to ensure volunteers can use this new technology effectively. Our volunteers dedicate significant time and effort to this work, and we operate every day, managing Norah Head, Tuggerah Lakes and Terrigal throughout the week.

I am also proud to support We Care Connect with a $15,000 grant to install fans and cooling equipment in their hub, which is staffed by hundreds of local volunteers who generously have supported over 30,000 children and families on the coast and across the Hunter with essential items. That's as well as supporting a brilliant team at Toukley 50 Plus, whose motto is you can teach an old dog new tricks. It's a local not-for-profit who received a $4,750 grant for a new sound system. I was glad to visit them a few weeks back, where I spoke with Pamela and their volunteer board. I'd also like to extend my thanks to the local selection panel, made up of Scott Goold, a regional director of Business in NSW; local councillor Margot Castles; and Wyong High School students Layla and Emma, for their contribution.