Written by Andrew Bartlett, Policy and Advocacy Advisory
There is only three weeks left until the Parliamentary Committee tables their Report – on 18th September. But that won’t be the end of the process, just the end of a key stage. What happens next will be even more important.
Background
At last year’s election, the government committed to establish this Inquiry within the first 100 days of taking office. A Parliamentary Committee was tasked with conducting the Inquiry, providing a valuable opportunity to examine ideas and increase momentum to address the decline in rates of volunteering, reduce barriers, and improve the impacts of and opportunities for the volunteer workforce.
The full terms of reference for the Inquiry, the 571 submissions received from the public, transcripts of the 16 public hearings, and other related material can all be found at this link. Volunteering Queensland was present at all public hearings – from Cooktown to Roma to the Gold Coast. LNP and Labor members of the Committee all showed strong interest in and engagement with the issues raised. Crossbenchers such as the Independent and Katter’s Australia Party MPs also provided submissions.
More details and background information about the Inquiry is at Volunteering Queensland’s website.
Summary of Key Issues raised
The Volunteering Policy & Engagement unit in the Dept of Local Government, Water and Volunteers (DLGWV) prepared this summary of the main issues and themes raised in the submissions. While it’s not possible to say what will be in the final report, it is likely to address each of the Terms of Reference and also reflect the major issues that have been raised and advocated. Some of the issues and proposals that may be featured include:
- Proposals to establish a network of volunteering hubs based in regions across the state;
- Concerns about excessive red tape, growing complexity of legal compliance, etc;
- Simpler, more uniform mechanisms – such as a standardised online portal (or passport) – to better connect and match volunteers with suitable volunteering opportunities;
- Increased insurance costs & adequacy of coverage;
- Building a stronger volunteering culture & support for community-level organisations;
- Clearer processes for volunteers who have major complaints;
- Emergency response issues (including rural firefighters, SES, Marine Rescue, spontaneous volunteering during disasters);
- Impacts of growing financial costs for volunteers;
- Corporate/organisational volunteering and partnerships;
- 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
What happens next
What the Government does:
After the Committee presents its report to Parliament, the Minister will prepare a formal response, including its recommendations. This usually takes around three months. Any Government decisions on extra volunteering-related funding will be considered as part of next year’s Budget in June 2026.
What the community can do:
The response from the public is in some ways as important as the response from the Government – but in quite a different way. This Inquiry provides a rare opportunity to put the spotlight squarely on volunteering. The very strong public response shows how much the issue means to people and communities across the state. But every government, political party and elected representative has to consider and prioritise many different issues. It is crucial that the community encourages the government and all MPs to give priority to volunteering, and put it front and centre of all policy deliberations and implementation.
Make people aware the report is coming, share the information within it once it appears and provide feedback to the Minister and to your local MPs. Volunteering Queensland would also love to hear your views on what it contains and things you think should be considered, as well as any feedback you hear from others.
Stay engaged and updated with developments. Governments and politicians at all levels have an important role to play. But more than any other issue, volunteering is about community and connections – governments can’t make it all happen on their own. A core part of Volunteering Queensland’s role is to amplify the voices of the volunteering ecosystem, so please help us to hear to you. We will continue to advocate for what we believe will work best for volunteering across the state, and this is a crucial opportunity.