Written by Andrew Bartlett, Policy and Advocacy Advisory
The report of the Parliamentary Committee Inquiry into Volunteering in Queensland was released on 18th September.
There are 8 formal recommendations listed at the start of the document. However, many of these recommendations contain a range of components which when broken down add up to at least 35 related but separate issues being identified for consideration by the government.
While the formal part of the process focuses on the recommendations, we encourage you to peruse the full report if you have time. It contains views, stories and challenges of volunteers across Queensland and the many organisations who rely on them (including government departments).
Many hundreds of people, representing thousands of groups and communities, contributed their time and expertise to this inquiry. Together they have shown how important volunteering is to our entire society, and why we need to take the opportunity this process presents to improve practical recognition and supports for volunteer activity.
What happens next
A formal government response to the recommendations will be published by the 18th December. While they can present this in whatever format they choose, the usual practice of government is to give a specific response– for example “support”, “support in principle”, “partially support” or “do not support” – to each recommendation.
This link shows an example from the last Parliament of what a Government Response to Committee Report recommendations can look like – (this example is a response to the 14 recommendations of the Inquiry into social isolation and loneliness in Queensland from 2021)
What you can do
This is not ‘just another report’. It presents a significant opportunity to:
a) be a pathway to achieving proper recognition of volunteering as an important factor in almost all portfolio areas across government and a central part of vibrant and resilient communities,
b) encourage further and smarter investment, by both government and non-government entities, in infrastructure and engagement to strengthen effective and ethical volunteering.
If you have specific examples or information relating to current barriers to volunteering – whether it be financial, administrative or other factors – please let us know. Real world examples help us not only to continue to make the case for change, but also better guide what form that change could take.
At the moment, we are especially interested in hearing of any specific examples you may have of specific fees or charges that are required for volunteers to participate, or examples of what you feel is excessive or unnecessary red tape. Please send any examples to andrew.bartlett@volunteeringqld.org.au.
While it is partly up to the government, via their upcoming response, to demonstrate how they plan to engage with that opportunity, it is also up to the community as a whole – and particularly organisations who involve, rely on and support volunteering – to take this opportunity to encourage volunteering to be taken more seriously and supported more strongly through actions as well as words.
Please make your own views known through whatever channels and mechanism work best for you or your organisation about what urgent changes you’d like to see happen.
We’re here to help
Please get in touch if you would like further information or details on any of the issues raised through the inquiry process and in the report, or you would like to help build public support for effective actions to better support volunteering. I am happy to be part of an information or discussion session with your group or organisation about what things could happen next.
Volunteering Queensland can provide advice and support on positive advocacy activities. If your organisation would like to become a member of VQ, you can find more details here.