Support Volunteers and Save Wynnum Community Place
Thank you, Speaker.
We all know that Australia is in a cost-of-living crisis that is indiscriminately affecting households, small businesses, students and families. Basic needs have all gone up in price. Housing and rents are up 15 per cent.
Electricity is up 22 per cent; gas is up 25 per cent. Unfortunately, this means that demand for not-for-profits has skyrocketed alongside rising inflation, costly overheads and reduced donations.
While our local charities and community organisations are going above and beyond to provide support, it is sad to see that they are receiving little in return.
The economic contribution of these charities is estimated to sit at $129 billion, a sector roughly equivalent in size to our retail sector.
Furthermore, charities often provide better quality services than the government and for-profits due to client relationships that are built on trust.
In May, the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living handed down its second interim report on solutions to address the cost-of-living pressures in Australia.
The report included two key findings concerning volunteer organisations.
Firstly, the cost-of-living crisis is causing an increase in the demand for services provided by the charitable and not-for-profit sector.
Most major charities focus on the delivery of essential services, such as emergency response work, supporting people in crisis and social services.
Charities catering to this growing need are doing so in an operating environment that is becoming more difficult by the day.
The Wesley Mission Salvation Army and other charities have all shared similar experiences of unprecedented demand with OzHarvest recording a 73 per cent increase in the six months prior to March this year.
The committee was alarmed to hear that individuals in full-time employment, as well as families with dual incomes, are now often those seeking support from charities.
Secondly, the interim report found that charities have been unable to meet increasing demand due to increased overheads and less charitable giving.
The added strain not only on patrons but also on volunteers is affecting the operation of charities. As one respondent said, ‘I save petrol by stopping voluntary work.
This reduction of volunteerism is a sad state for our economy, but it is not due to any fault of the organisations or volunteers themselves.
Volunteers Australia have also noted a sharp decline in formal volunteering.
Sadly, they also contribute this to financial strain, finding that 16.6 per cent of people did not volunteer in the past 12 months due to financial reasons.
In Bonner, we have a wide range of volunteer groups, catering for the diverse passions, needs and interests of our community.
From the Wynnum Historical Society to the Red Frogs, and Beyond DV, we have many dedicated P&Cs, local churches, sporting clubs and environmentalists.
The Wynnum Community Place is a charity in my electorate of Bonner that not only provides food and financial relief but also a connection, relationship and dignity for vulnerable locals.
And other than funding secured in July 2021, the hub has operated completely unfunded.
Despite this, they have returned $1.25 million in value.
That’s an incredible return on investment. In the last two years, Wynnum Community Place lost 46 per cent of its funding while experiencing a 126 per cent increase in need since December 2022.
Unfortunately, without intervention, the community hub will be forced to close its doors on 30 September.
That is why I have written to the federal Minister for Social Services to help Wynnum Community Place.
I visited them last week to speak with Dave, who is part of the team at Wynnum Community Place.
He told me that he’d seen people come in in the depths of despair and leave as different people.
They now present relaxed and friendlier with their interactions with others in a place that they can call home.
To see Wynnum Community Place close would be a sad day for our local community.
I thank Dave, Mr Chad Gardiner and Mr Craig Moore for their representation on this urgent matter.
It is undeniably an institution of incredible value, one which we must continue to support.