Media Release
Thursday 18th September
Volunteering has been undervalued for too long. Today that must change. Volunteering Queensland welcomes the release of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Volunteering in Queensland report.
The opportunity, and test, for this Government will be in their ability to deliver funding to support the Inquiry outcomes. Despite volunteers giving freely of their time, volunteering is not free of cost and the proper management and support of volunteers requires investment.
“Volunteering has always been deeply embedded in the heart of Queensland communities – it is time it’s embedded into the fabric of the Queensland budget. On behalf of the sector we are calling for dedicated long-term state funding for volunteering infrastructure” says Jane Hedger, CEO Volunteering Queensland.
Queenslanders gave considerable time to the Inquiry across 571 submissions, 15 public hearings, and over 75 witness appearances. The Inquiry has reinforced what we already know: volunteering is the backbone of communities across Queensland and requires significant investment in infrastructure and support to survive.
“We thank the Government for acknowledging the vital role of volunteering by establishing a Minister, departmental unit and Inquiry focused on volunteering. We also recognise the hard work and commitment of the bipartisan Inquiry Committee, chaired by Mr James Lister MP,” says Ms Hedger.
The Inquiry Report provides a broad summary of the sector issues and is a starting point for improving how we support, protect and resource volunteers and volunteer involving organisations to meet and overcome the growing challenges and barriers to volunteering involvement.
“Volunteering Queensland is particularly pleased to see the recommendations around funding for a network of volunteering hubs and support to the existing Volunteer Resource Centres. This has been something that Volunteering Queensland has been advocating strongly for.
We look forward to working with the Department and sector stakeholders now to progress all the recommendations and flesh out the less detailed actions to ensure that the response delivers on the Premier’s commitment to increased participation rates and improved opportunities for volunteering.
Inquiry submissions illustrated vividly how the volunteering ecosystem is cumbersome and under-resourced. We acknowledge the organisations and individuals that are so desperately calling for change, for giving of their time and effort to share their experiences,” Ms Hedger says.
The committee made 8 recommendations. These recommendations relate to the following key areas:
- adopting a whole-of-government approach to recognising, investing in, and supporting volunteers
- reducing barriers to volunteering
- changes to Rural Fire Service Queensland to address cultural and organisational issues
- improving the volunteer experience for State Emergency Service volunteers
- improving operating conditions for existing Queensland Volunteer Resource Centres
- furthering engagement with government organisations and stakeholders
- reviewing volunteer onboarding requirements
- investigating policy approaches for First Nations and multicultural communities.
“These recommendations provide a roadmap for the future. We are keen to work with the Government and the community to turn this vision into action and build a vibrant, innovative volunteering ecosystem for Queensland,” Ms Hedger says.