Jodie Campbell (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have spoken before on the vital nature of volunteers, of the integral role which they play in all of our communities. I believe it is not an exaggeration to say that, without the tens of thousands of unpaid man-hours worked by volunteers, our communities and our society would simply cease to function. It is for this reason that I stand before you today.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth, of which I am proud to be a member, has investigated volunteering in the community and welfare sectors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the incredibly hardworking staff of the secretariat for all of their organisation and assistance. I note their attendance here today, and I thank them for everything that they have done.

In speaking to the roundtable’s draft discussion paper, I would like to reflect on not only its findings but my own experiences with volunteering and some of the outstanding contributions made by volunteers in my electorate of Bass. I believe one of the great challenges we face is how we encourage our young people to become involved in volunteering. When I was 17, I completed a Lifelink Samaritans course. This is an organisation with a 40-year history of helping people when they need it most. I was trained to answer telephones and provide support to those who called. They may have been lonely, depressed or under pressure. Whatever it was, I was there to provide a presence on the other end of the phone. This was a most rewarding and life-informing period, and I can speak firsthand of the benefit which comes from giving something back to the community.

I was both amazed and humbled during my time as Deputy Mayor of Launceston to attend many events recognising the contribution of volunteers. One, however, sticks out and has stayed in my mind. It was honouring volunteers at the National Trust’s Franklin House for thousands—and I say again, thousands—of hours of volunteer time. Many at Franklin House are elderly, and with each passing year filling the roster of house and garden staff proves harder and harder. People like Pat Ahern, Terry Childs, Joy Spence, Jan Towns and Julie Dineen are tireless in their commitment and passion. To each of them and to the hundreds of volunteers across my electorate of Bass, I take this opportunity to say thank you. Among those volunteers are the workers at Launceston’s City Park Radio, or Friends of FM as they are known. I recently attended their annual general meeting and took the opportunity to stress the integral role which volunteers play in the rich fabric of our society.

As I said earlier, the roles of unpaid workers—of volunteers—are essential to our communities. Without them our health system could not cope, our education systems would fail, the most basic of services would go undelivered and our arts, cultural and sporting groups simply would not exist. The most basic elements which go to make communities what they are are so often provided by volunteers. That is why I am so passionate about wanting more young people to become involved.

This is a theme on which I often speak when I get the opportunity, be it at schools or community events, because I believe in the fundamental importance of giving back and of acknowledging the amazing opportunities which we are afforded in this wonderful country. It was pleasing to read in the discussion paper that the greatest increase in volunteering rates is in the 18- to 24-year-old age group. In 1995 it was 17 per cent; however, by 2006 that had risen to 32 per cent. That equates to around 6.3 million incidents of volunteering. I would personally like to see a greater number of these young people working in the welfare sector; however, all volunteering is to be commended.

I mentioned before the thousands of hours volunteered at Franklin House. If we use that as an example, it is possible to imagine the sheer cost involved if we were to pay these people. Some estimates put it at around $30 billion a year; others place it closer to $50 billion. Whatever the reality is, it is clear that it is a considerable amount of money which is contributed to the economy as time.

Clearly, there is a role for governments of all levels in supporting volunteers. As freely as they give of their time, volunteers often end up out of pocket. That is why I wrote to volunteer organisations across Northern Tasmania encouraging them to apply for grants under the Rudd government’s Volunteer Grants Program. Among other things, groups and individuals can receive assistance to cover costs associated with volunteering, including fuel. This is only fair and appropriate given the rising costs associated with fuel in particular.

I also know from discussions with constituents that there are concerns associated with insurance for volunteers. In my home state of Tasmania the state government has been considering this issue for a number of years and I would urge it to act soon as volunteers are entitled to protection. It is, I would argue, the very least they could and should expect.

I commend to the House the discussion paper of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth The value of volunteering: a discussion paper on volunteering in the community and welfare sector, adding again my gratitude to our country’s many, many volunteers and my voice to those calling for greater recognition of their efforts.

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