Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak to The value of volunteering report; it is a very important discussion paper. Looking at the material, I understand this will certainly be the basis for much discussion and very much the reward in terms of recognising people and their volunteering efforts. As we know, volunteers are the beating heart of our nation. Without volunteers, governments, hospitals, schools and the community as a whole would falter. Every year Australians give up eight million hours of their time to volunteer. The reason for volunteering is generally wanting to help others in our community.

This report recognises that all three levels of government have extensive involvement with volunteering. Governments provide funding and program support and also invest in research. Governments initiate policy, often with the assistance of volunteers. Volunteers note that costs associated with volunteering are often a deterrent for encouraging people to volunteer. The federal government is making a start on this by expanding the Australian government’s $21 million Volunteer Grants Program in 2008. The government expanded items eligible for funding under the program to include things like petrol and other benefits for volunteers who use their own resources for volunteering purposes. This new measure will assist volunteers who use their vehicles to support people in the community, including delivering food to the homeless, taking disadvantaged children to Saturday sports and visiting the elderly.

We as the federal arm of government have a Minister for Social Inclusion and a Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector. What governments at all levels need to do is ensure that government support is not inconsistent and fragmented. There are many challenges facing the volunteering sector, and governments must manage those challenges and work with community organisations.

In my electorate of Forde, every year over 15,000 people volunteer their time for the benefit of the community. This is a great contribution to community life. In fact, just last week I addressed a classroom of students from the Tamrookum Primary School. It is a great little school in the southern area of my electorate, overlooking the beautiful Border Ranges into New South Wales. One question they asked me, when I addressed them as their federal member, was why I wanted to be a member of parliament. My answer included a reference to the ability to help the community and advocate for groups and organisations. Of course, as a member of the government and of the House committee that produced this report, I can say that this work and the opportunity to support volunteers in my community make me very proud to be a member of parliament.

I would like to thank the school for my warm welcome on that occasion. I should say that in the school communities, particularly in small communities like the Tamrookum school, the community spirit is very high and that shows in the amount of volunteering in that sector. I would like to make special reference to the school captains, who made me very welcome on that occasion, Ryan Carroll and Emily Hocking; the teachers, Chris Caverly and Michelle Holohan; the Principal, Liz Salmoni; and on that occasion the Acting Principal, Mike Kelly. While we did not specifically talk about volunteering, there was recognition that the school of Tamrookum has a very good community spirit.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank those in the community of Forde who donate their time. The people of Forde, like many around the country, engage in a voluntary capacity in many activities that help our communities. This year on Queensland Day, which is 6 June, I introduced for the seat of Forde Queensland Day Awards to celebrate and recognise the members of our community who have worked very hard and committed themselves to voluntary work and the task of volunteering. I would like to make special mention of a select number of people who were nominated for their work within the community. This year I gave out 40 awards—which is a very small number compared to the identified 15,000 people at least who volunteer their services every year in electorates like mine.

I would like to make mention of a number of those people who were specially commended. One particularly stands out amongst them all. The inaugural Queenslander of the Year in the seat of Forde is Colin Nelson. I briefly want to give a bit of background, which also will enhance our understanding of what volunteers do. Colin worked on a voluntary basis for many years, particularly in the area of community banking and providing help to people in the area of finance. He established three community banks in the Logan and adjacent areas. He has also been responsible for organising large events, such as Logan’s Big Day Out, which is an event for the people of Logan who have disabilities, and Logan’s Little Heroes, which is an event for young people in Logan who have a terminal illness. I take this opportunity to congratulate Colin, who is the inaugural Queenslander of the Year in the seat of Forde.

There are another few people I would like to make comment on. Ada Banks has been involved with the Relay for Life committee, and I have had the pleasure of being involved in that group for a number of years. Albert Pryor has worked tirelessly for the Beaudesert community through Rotary, at the same time as running his own business full time. Both Albert and Ada were awarded what I call the Community Spirit Award, which is very much about their volunteering activities. I would also like to acknowledge Robert and Nikki Cheslin, from a group called On the Edge, for their work with youth and those who are disadvantaged. I would also like to acknowledge community groups such as Tamborine Mountain Landcare, who work to keep pristine the surrounds of Tamborine Mountain. In the age of major development in South-East Queensland, that is quite a task. They are doing some wonderful things and they know they have an enormous amount of support from me as their representative in government. The Logan and Albert Conservation Association educate the community and advocate for the protection of our natural environment. I would also like to acknowledge Eve Curtis and her team of volunteers at the Tamborine Mountain News, who will celebrate its 50th year in publication. This is the longest-running small format A4 newspaper, and its staff is completely volunteer based. It provides a wonderful service to the community.

We cannot thank volunteers enough for the work they do in our community. This report demonstrates that the community spirit is alive and well in this country. It is our role as the government to support community organisations, as they are the backbone of our nation. For that reason I commend the contents of this report to the Main Committee.

See this speech in context