Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak on the Morrison government's unwavering support for Australian volunteers. The motion those opposite have presented is completely unfounded. The Morrison government provides $10 million a year for grassroots volunteer grants to assist our volunteers and encourage volunteering in our local communities. As for 2021 volunteer grants, this has been doubled to $20 million in funding, which has now commenced, with the outcomes to be announced later this year. This funding is available to every electorate across the country—equal support for all our volunteers nationwide.

Now in its sixth year, the very popular Stronger Communities Program, which was introduced by our government, provides grants of between $2½ thousand and $20,000 to community organisations, delivering social benefits for locals. As part of this program, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Ocean Crusaders in my electorate of Bonner, who were awarded $20,000 for the installation of an automatic bottle cap washing machine. Based in Hemmant, this charity organisation specialises in cleaning our waterways, particularly through their Caps Crusade initiative. This funding is a game changer for their volunteers, making sure they can clean bottle caps even quicker and get cleaner plastic back on the market for reuse. Then there's our government's Powering Communities Program, which, in 2021, will fund up to 12 projects worth $68,000 in my electorate of Bonner, helping community organisations and their hardworking volunteers lower their energy bills. With all this funding, it's clear that supporting volunteers isn't just important; it's essential to the Morrison government.

Recognising how hard this sector has been working through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Morrison government stepped up and provided an additional $3.2 million through volunteering peak bodies. This was on top of the $10 million annual volunteer grants round and the $6.6 million one-off funding included as part of the latest budget for the redesigned volunteer management activity. Does this sound like a government that isn't supporting our volunteers? The Morrison government is securing Australia's recovery and getting the volunteering sector back on its feet. The Morrison government recognises these local organisations have strengthened our communities for decades. We are equipping volunteers with tools and resources that they need on the ground. We are promoting awareness for volunteer groups in our local communities. The Morrison government has our volunteers covered.

As part of last year's volunteer grants, I awarded funding to 16 local community organisations, including supporting clubs, Rotary, Scouts and many others. These grants were between $1,000 to $5,000, to best support their work on the ground. Wynnum Manly District Cricket Club was a recipient of a $5,000 grant. This has enabled big changes for the club. It has meant that they could upgrade the scorers' room with new furniture and air conditioning, which, during a Queensland summer cricket season, is invaluable to the volunteers who keep the runs ticking over for the club. We all know the amazing work that Meals On Wheels provides to our senior community members, giving them the power to live independently for longer. I've been privileged to work alongside Meals On Wheels in Mount Gravatt several times. The volunteers are at the heart of this group, and they are second to none. So I was very happy to recently announce that they were successful in receiving a $5,000 volunteer grant. Deputy Speaker Bird, as you know, this is a service that relies wholeheartedly on volunteers to deliver meals to the elderly. Volunteers use their own vehicles to deliver meals up to four times a week. This grant meant that Meals On Wheels Mount Gravatt could reimburse volunteers their fuel costs.

Those opposite say the Morrison government isn't backing our volunteers enough. I have to thank those opposite for providing an opportunity today to demonstrate that the Morrison government is actually backing our volunteers. The Morrison government is providing record levels of support for this vital sector, and that is seeing volunteer groups go from strength to strength. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the hardworking volunteers in my electorate of Bonner.

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