Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth, I present the committee’s report entitled The value of volunteering: a discussion paper on volunteering in the community and welfare sector, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, more than five million Australians aged 18 years and over did voluntary work in 2006. These volunteers contributed a total of 713 million hours of unpaid work. It is estimated that volunteers contribute around $42 billion to the Australian economy each year. I am pleased to present the discussion paper The value of volunteering, on behalf of the committee. This paper is a distillation of the issues and outcomes of a lively, solutions-focused discussion at a one-day roundtable forum held in Sydney earlier this year. While the focus of the forum was volunteering in the community and welfare sector, the discussion was broad ranging. Indeed, many of the issues considered in relation to volunteering in the community and welfare sector are clearly applicable to the broad voluntary sector.

The committee acknowledges the importance of all forms of volunteering and its role in sustaining communities, promoting social inclusion and building social capital. This includes ‘informal volunteering’, which usually occurs outside of more structured organisational settings and which is frequently overlooked. The committee supports the application of a broad definition of volunteering which better reflects the full scope and contribution of diverse volunteering activities. The committee recognises that volunteers represent the backbone of service delivery in the community and welfare sector. Without these volunteers, the sector would not be able to function effectively. However, the rates and patterns of volunteering are changing. Many community and welfare organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain new volunteers. The committee recognises the need for organisations that rely on volunteers to be innovative in the way they engage with, recruit and train volunteers. Particularly, the committee encourages the community welfare sector to consider more proactive approaches to engaging with younger potential volunteers, making greater use of age appropriate marketing and the full range of media and communications technology available.

The committee also strongly encourages organisations to seek greater involvement of volunteers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Work-life balance has influenced the patterns of volunteering. Many more people are now seeking opportunities for shorter term volunteering which allows them to contribute to their community while also maintaining their other commitments. The committee recognises the importance of having a clear understanding of who volunteers, why and in what way. Therefore the committee supports the need to conduct more research on volunteering.

Adequate suitable training of volunteers and of managers of volunteers is critical to supporting a vibrant and sustainable voluntary sector. Where appropriate, the committee encourages organisations to explore options for accessing accredited training which is standardised and transferable. The committee encourages organisations to recognise the important role of managers of volunteers and the resources required to support the role effectively.

Change in public policies often has consequences for volunteers engaged in community based organisations. For example, the shift to a competitive tendering model of funding has resulted in many organisations reporting challenges in security of funding and their capacity to undertake longer term planning. While the committee recognises that government policy and priorities will change over time, the committee encourages all levels of government to consider the possible consequences of policy changes for volunteers and volunteering.

Corporate social responsibility and the increase in corporate volunteering presents opportunities for win-win outcomes where businesses can honour community obligations and organisations in the voluntary sector can build capacity. While not without its challenges, the committee is encouraged by the potential for expansion between businesses and organisations in the voluntary sector. We understand the need for transparency and accountability in the voluntary sector, but the committee believes that simplification of compliance requirements and support for cross-jurisdictional consistency could alleviate the administrative burden. The committee encourages government agencies to adopt an approach that balances their needs for accountability with risk management that is commensurate with the level of risk involved.

I would like to convey my thanks to all who participated in this forum, sharing their experiences and their knowledge with such evident passion and enthusiasm. I would also like to thank the committee members and the secretariat staff for their efforts. I commend the paper to the House.

Judi Moylan (Pearce, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the report of the Standing Committee Family, Community, Housing and Youth into community and welfare volunteering arising from the recent roundtable. Volunteering and its diversity is the heart and soul of the Australian community. It is the glue which binds the nation. The lives of many in the community are made richer and given added quality through the unselfish sharing of time and talent of around five million Australians. Volunteers come from all walks of life, and at the heart of their efforts is a sense of community responsibility. But it is a win-win situation, as many derive a great deal of personal satisfaction, developing life-long friendships and discovering hidden talents, from contributing to their community. One thing is for certain: volunteering contributes massively to our social and economic capital. The estimated value of volunteer work is $42 billion per year. Anyone who willingly gives unpaid help to, or through, an organisation is considered a volunteer.

This volunteering forum demonstrated that the sector faces both changes and challenges. Contemporary life fragments families and communities, making volunteering as important as it ever was. However, increasing administrative and legal complexities and the recruitment and training of volunteers, especially in an environment of full employment, could pose a threat to the volunteering core. On the other hand, the growth of corporate volunteering, where employees are given paid leave to do voluntary work, swells the diminishing ranks of the traditional volunteers, many of whom were women finding time between domestic duties to volunteer, and of course retirees. This report suggests that volunteering could be better recognised by all levels of government on a formal basis. In fact, this is why I, as a new member of parliament, established the Pearce Australia Day Award. As I travelled around the many communities of Pearce, I recognised the army of people donating their time to a variety of causes. Three women from the country town of Northam were amongst the first winners of the Pearce Australia Day award. Between them, they gave 90 years of service to the local Meals on Wheels, hardly missing a day. Awards have gone to children and 90-year-olds for their contributions, with examples too many to detail in the short time I have available. Ambulance drivers, fire fighters, visitors to the chronically ill and aged, environmental workers, and people working in arts, heritage and sports are amongst the many volunteer groups in the community.

The government’s role in volunteering is important in terms of funding, but it needs to be extended. For instance, more recognition is needed as to the importance of volunteering. A way to achieve this is to implement the discussion paper’s suggestion to include volunteering as an elective subject in tertiary education. This would engage young people in volunteering, assist with their personal development, help the country both socially and economically and, importantly, establish a pattern for a lifetime commitment to volunteering.

I do hope that this report is acted on and is not one of those that just finds its way to the library shelves and that we in this place continue to promote the value of volunteering both in this House and within our communities. I would like to join the chair of the committee, the member for Canberra, and thank her for her contribution in ensuring that this forum was a success. I would also like to thank the many individuals and organisations who actually took time out of their busy schedules to appear before the committee and contribute to this report.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for statements on this report has expired. Does the member for Canberra wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

In accordance with standing order 39, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.