Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Stronger Communities Program has been underway for almost 12 months. It provides grants of between $5,000 and $20,000 to fund small capital projects in local communities. To receive a grant, the project needs to provide benefit to the community, like improving participation and cohesion or contributing to the vibrancy of the community.

Over the past few weeks, I have had great pleasure in presenting grants to a number of local organisations. Seven out of the 13 applications that were put forward have been approved for funding, which is great news for our communities across McEwen. Six remaining projects are still undergoing assessment, and I am hopeful that the government might get these done.

The Broadford Football Netball Club received $13,000 toward a digital scoreboard for Hammond Reserve. The reserve is used by a number of sporting organisations and community groups: primary and secondary school sports days, cricket clubs and the Broadford football and netball club. The scoreboard building, that the digital scoreboard will be housed in, was built with in-kind support from the Broadford Secondary College VET students working on building construction. These kids got the opportunity to learn their trade through the trade training centre that was funded by the Gillard-Labor government.

Lancefield Bowling Club received $8,000 to go toward refurbishment of the kitchen. The current kitchen is 55 years old, and the improvements will allow the club to offer its facilities to a greater number of community organisations. The Lions Club of Whittlesea has received $20,000 to go towards the upgrade of Whittlesea Lions Park. The park has been there for more than 25 years and, because of the significant growth of the Whittlesea Township, it is time to expand and update those facilities. The Macedon Ranges Further Education Centre received $7,000 towards an upgrade of its 30-year-old facility. The upgrade will provide a larger learning space, which means the centre can offer more programs and activities for the community. The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Tennis Club, also in Sunbury, received $5,000 to assist with replacing the roof of the clubhouse. Everything that club has done has been done by the members and this was the last piece of infrastructure they needed to make the club a modern facility for many people to enjoy.

The Rotary Club of Sunbury received $15,000 towards a storage space and equipment for the Sunbury Community Kitchen. The community kitchen provides food and company to between 100 and 200 people a week who are disadvantaged, sick or lonely on a Monday night. They come together and have a great meal. The social cohesion and mental health aspects cannot be denied. This is an absolutely wonderful place, and I have spoken about them before here. This funding will help provide a coolroom and storage space so that the donated food that they get to help people from various charities can be stored.

Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House received $12,000 that will be used to build a new storage shed. The shed will help the neighbourhood house to expand its current services by enabling more people to attend the courses that it puts on. Along with this, it is opening its doors to other community organisations and providing them with a place to meet and store their equipment. Usually these sorts of things are quite small, but when you look at the Riddells Creek spinners their big spinning wheels are quite substantial, and they need somewhere to make sure they put them away as they knit things for people who are disadvantaged.

These initiatives are a great example of some of the commitment and dedication of the not-for-profit sector in McEwen. Among the remaining six applications under assessment, there are some worthy projects, and I hope the government actually gets on and supports them. These are grants for junior sporting equipment, fire brigade station refurbishment, and new facilities for people living with disabilities, and also a barbecue trailer to assist Scouts with fundraising and equipment for a Men's Shed in Hume.

This is probably a good point to remind everyone that next week is Men's Shed Week. The Men's Shed Network is available to men right across the region, and it has a valuable role in the community, advancing health and wellbeing and contributing to communities in a variety of ways. There are growing problems in men's health. Isolation, loneliness and depression are major issues. Last year in Australia there were 10 million consultations on mental health alone, and the mental health system is straining to cope. There is a tendency for men to ignore their health, and it is difficult for health services to engage them, especially when it comes to preventative health. So the environment of Men's Sheds and the programs offered are a vital link for health professionals and the community. The various Men's Sheds across Australia will be celebrating Men's Shed Week by putting on a showcase of their work and involvement in the community. In McEwen the Men's Sheds are involved in helping other community organisations to fundraise or refurbish facilities. I am looking forward to visiting them next week, seeing some of their work and talking about the wonderful things that they are doing.

What the Stronger Communities Program and initiatives like Men's Sheds continue to reinforce for me is just how important our community organisations and the not-for-profit sector are. So thank you to all of the many involved in Men's Sheds. Keep doing what you are doing, please, because your community needs you more than ever.