Kay Elson (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take my time here today to thank the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, for the support he has given to volunteers all round Australia. In my electorate 35 different community groups will share over $78,000 in funding provided through the Volunteer Small Equipment Grants program, administered by Mal Brough. The volunteer small equipment grants provide up to $3,000 to community groups to help make the valuable work of their volunteers much easier, safer and enjoyable. There was an overwhelming response to the last round of funding so the government decided to allocate an extra $10 million. I am delighted we are able to provide local community groups with an extra $78,000, on top of the $46,000 that I announced last year.

This money will purchase important equipment, mostly through local stores, to help the work of local volunteers. Grants have been provided to purchase a wide variety of equipment to assist volunteers throughout the local region. Groups such as P&Cs, Guides, Lions clubs, rural fire brigades, disabled support groups, Rotary and ambulance committees, to name a few, have benefited through the allocation of this grant money. These are the people who give their hearts and souls to our communities. Each purchase will make a significant difference to the work they do. The organisations tell me they would have had to sell many raffle tickets and make many cakes to raise the money they will get through this grant.

Each year around 4.4 million Australian adults undertake some 430 million hours of unpaid work. This is a significant economic and social contribution to our society. The selfless spirit with which volunteers approach their unpaid work says something special about the Australian community, and I thank the minister for continuing this valuable grant. While I am on my feet, I would like to also thank two volunteers who come into my office every week. I know most of our electorate offices would not work as well if it were not for people giving their time in our offices. I would like to thank Jerry Nowakowski, who for the last six years has come to my office every day to do all of the manual and hard work. I could not survive without him. I also thank John Skeers, another gentleman who has given eight years of his time to my office. I thank them and their wonderful partners, Clair and Gwendoline. My office would not be efficient without their valuable support. I would like to put that on the record.