Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) applications are now open for Round Three of the Stronger Communities Programme (SCP);

(b) the SCP has:

(i) invested in thousands of worthwhile projects applied for by small community groups and organisations which would often not have received funding another way; and

(ii) had a positive impact on the lives of all kinds of Australians, supporting youth sporting clubs, community halls and clubhouses, surf lifesavers, aged and day care facilities among many more;

(2) welcomes the funding allocated to all successful projects under Rounds One and Two of the SCP, including the Caloundra Woodworking Club’s grant of $15,000 to enable the construction of an extension to their building and the grant of $8,700 to Caloundra Surf Club which enabled the purchase of an inflatable rescue boat;

Last week we celebrated Mental Health Week, a time when many different community groups gather in their communities and people like us, politicians, help them to celebrate it. We live in a world that is so interconnected through computers and mobile phones and yet where we are so dissociated from each other, our families and friends, and I think that is a sad indictment of us all as a society.

However, one thing that is a shining light, which helps build communities, is the federal government's Stronger Communities Program. As everyone knows in this place, the Stronger Communities Program provides grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 to community groups throughout our various electorates for capital projects. Eligible projects include new buildings and equipment; scoreboards; computers; upgrades to community halls; clubhouses; equipment for aged-care and day-care facilities; art works; rescue boats; generators and many more. In total, the Turnbull government has spent $45 million on the program between 2015 and 2017, and we are spending a further $22½ million in 2017-18.

In my own electorate of Fisher, we have seen the huge benefits that this program can deliver. Caloundra Woodworking Club has more than 110 members and offers not only great equipment but also a community focal point for its members. This is what I am talking about with the significance for, particularly, mental health. It is about bringing communities together. The one thing we all want as human beings is to belong. Whether it is to a footy group, a woodworking group or a soccer club—it doesn't matter what it is—we all desire to belong to something or someone.

The Caloundra Woodworking Club have regular teaching sessions and sharing of knowledge and help members to develop their skills and bring new people into the craft. The club has deep links with local businesses, like Bunnings, and other community groups, like the Caloundra RSL. Members make everything from cheese boards to intricate sculptures, fine furniture, harps and guitars. The Caloundra Woodworking Club received a grant last year for $15,133. This has allowed them to complete an extension to their existing building for an expanded machinery work area and external housing for the dust extractor plant. The club are now looking into how they can use their extended facilities to produce a wider range of work and to introduce new programs to encourage more men and women to get involved.

Organisations like the Caloundra Woodworking Club really personify what the Sunshine Coast and the Stronger Communities Program are all about. Although we are a growing community, the Sunshine Coast is still in some ways like a small country town. We recognise the importance of looking after each other. At the Caloundra Woodworking Club, people don't just work with wood; they provide a service to each other by offering a listening ear and a community of spirit to belong to. As Lola Kerlin, the club's president, said. 'It's not just about a better work environment for them; it's actually going to make them a lot happier too.'

They're not the only organisation that has received funding from the Stronger Communities Program. The government has already funded 27 projects in Fisher, with hopefully another 20 to come in the current round. The many and hugely varied projects that the government has funded include upgrades to the bathroom facilities at C&K Childcare in Mooloolaba; a new inflatable rescue boat at Kawana Waters SLSC; and the building of benches, chairs and a new cafe floor for the Gateway Care Community Hub in Caloundra.

The government should be commended for its vision in understanding the role that these small community projects play in enriching lives and improving mental health for all Australians. It should be commended further for extending this program for another year. Applications for round 3 of the Stronger Communities Program are being assessed as we speak.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was interesting to see the member for Fisher raising this motion today and once again patting himself and his government on the back for some pretty extreme altruism and philanthropy. If I didn't know better, after listening to him speak I would think that we had a government that really cared about communities. But I do know better and so do people in Australia. I, of course, absolutely welcome any funding to our communities, particularly in regional and low-income areas like my electorate of Longman. We absolutely welcome any funding at all to our communities. I would never, ever turn my nose up at additional funding for the types of groups and organisations in the electorate that need help, but I do take issue with anything that puts that money in a greater position than those without money.

Deserving community organisations in my electorate that do really incredible work in our community have been unable to apply for this community grants program. The reason they have been unable to apply is that they couldn't afford to. In low-income electorates like Longman, people have to make do with what they have got. Typically, that means providing support or a service without much money in the bank at all. It can limit the capabilities of the organisations and constrains the amount of good work they can do in the community when you don't have much money in the bank to begin with. Government grants are really meant to counter this. They are meant to help our communities and to provide funding to those who need it. When those community organisations have to already have money in the bank to apply for these grants, it puts the poorer community groups at a real and significant disadvantage. Labor is about equity and an even playing field. So it really pains me to see those with the least, those who need funding the most, being ineligible to apply.

It really isn't fair, but it is typical of this government—and it is what we have come to expect from this government—to help those with money. We don't have to think back very far about the government helping people with money; there was the $16,400 tax cut it happily bestowed upon millionaires while everyday Australians are struggling to get by. They are struggling to get by, of course, because energy prices have skyrocketed under this government. Those people who had their penalty rates cut earlier this year—a cut to their take-home pay, the pay that puts food on the table—are struggling to get by because this government has refused to roll back its unjustifiable freeze on Medicare, which it seems to want to extend forever. It's still there. Medicare is still frozen in a lot of parts. The inequality is just getting worse. It is getting worse under this government, and they are doing nothing but exacerbate it.

I would say, though, that the Stronger Communities grants program has been a great catalyst for my office to build a community committee that represents Longman. The committee was established to review those expressions of interest for the grants, but we have plans to continue this committee and help our community, where possible, through the work it does. This committee consists of people who are a true representation of the electorate of Longman. There is someone who represents the seniors of our community and someone who represents the veterans of our community. There is also a health representative and an education representative—a local primary school principal—and a local business owner in King Street, the main street of Caboolture. We have also have one of the student leaders at Dakabin State High School and an Indigenous elder who represents both the police and his Indigenous community. So it is a really grassroots committee that is determining those expressions of interests.

There were 18 worthy expressions of interest passed on to the department for selection, and I am really hoping that each one is approved. They are all very worthy and deserving. Longman needs and deserves every single bit of government funding that it can get. I want to make it clear that I can't wholeheartedly support any measures that discriminate on financial status, when we are looking at government funding, but what I can say is that every single one of those 18 community groups which have applied for funding is needy and deserving of that money.

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to stand up and talk about so much important work being done by community based organisations in the Goldstein electorate, particularly as a result of the Stronger Communities Program. We have recently made recommendations for funding under this program for many important community organisations. You just need to look at some of those who are doing fantastic work, like the Beaumaris Sports Club, where an independent panel recommended an extra $20,000 be provided to Banksia Reserve to establish an LED scoreboard. I know under the earlier version of the Stronger Communities grants, funding was provided in Brighton East for the Hurlingham Park facility for a similar scoreboard. An enormous amount of work is being done by bowls clubs across the Goldstein electorate to make sure they have sufficient resources, including $20,000 for the conversion of new greens. We also have recommendations for funding for the Bentleigh Early Child Education Co-operative, particularly for the upgrade and expansion of their cooperative centres. There is a similar recommendation to support and assist the Bentleigh Recreational Tennis Club—$15,000 for an upgrade in its facilities.

Goldstein is a particularly sporty electorate, where people like to enjoy the benefits of Port Phillip Bay but they also like to live a healthy and active life across the board. We have tennis and sporting clubs all through the electorate, and all of them are doing important work in ensuring that people, at all stages of their life, live healthy lives. We also recommended that $20,000 for Bayley House, one of the great community support organisations for people with a disability, for a new performing arts and multipurpose space. If you ever get the chance, Deputy Speaker, you should get down to Bayley House to see their end-of-year concert, which is absolutely hilarious. They did it last year at Brighton Grammar and my hope is that, with the funding they need for a performing arts space, they might be able to do more regular activities within their existing facilities.

Separately, we made a recommendation for $5,610 for the Allnut Park toddler's playground upgrade—a critical piece of infrastructure in the city of Glen Eira. It is an important park that many people around the McKinnon and Bentleigh areas come to and enjoy, particularly at this time of year as the trees blossom and the sun comes out. It's a perfect environment for children and community engagement. Similarly, recommendations have been made for funding for the Half Moon Bay Surf Life Saving Club—one of many of the lifesaving clubs across the Goldstein electorate. They provide support and assistance when people are vulnerable at critical times of need. We all know the importance of lifesaving clubs and how they can lead to protecting and helping people. A lot of visitors and tourists come to Goldstein. They might come to look at the Brighton beach boxes. Often there are issues around people's capacity to swim. Port Phillip Bay doesn't always have treacherous waters, but, at the same time, if people can't swim, they can get themselves into dangerous circumstances. It's not just the Half Moon Bay Surf Life Saving Club; all lifesaving clubs play a critical role. They will use those resources for new rescue boards, a barbecue and website redevelopment so that they can properly engage with the community.

One of the most exciting proposals put forward as part of the Stronger Communities Program is for MESAC—the exploration and feasibility study for a new marine science centre in the southern part of the Goldstein electorate, recognising the marine sanctuary that sits around Beaumaris at the existing sailing club. There is potential for MESAC to work in partnership with universities and local schools to expand scientific research in Port Phillip Bay, but it can also support and assist in other activities in education, which is very exciting. If they were to secure that funding, it would make a huge difference for that feasibility study to lead to the development of MESAC into the future. Similarly, the Sandybeach Community Co-operative Society had recommendations for new facilities, particularly around their kitchen, which is an important piece of community infrastructure in the Sandringham area, just around the corner from where I live. It is particularly important for people with a disability but also important for the ageing population in order to make sure they have an opportunity for community engagement. The Stronger Communities Program provides that opportunity and that's why we support it.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to rise in support of the member for Fisher's motion. Applications for the Stronger Communities Program closed last Thursday. I'm pleased to be able to announce that one of the organisations that submitted an application has already had their grant approved. The Kersbrook Men's Shed is currently being built and, through the Stronger Communities Program, they will receive $10,000 to help with the tools in their shed. I've spoken in this chamber previously about my strong support for men's sheds and the benefit they already provide to our community. Kersbrook is a town nestled in the Adelaide Hills with a population of just over 1,000 and a median age of 45. It's one of the oldest communities in the Adelaide Hills and suffered quite badly in the Sampson Flat fires. A men's shed in a town like Kersbrook functions as a community hub. Not only does it provide service to the older members in our community but it also creates avenues for younger men in the community to come together and share in bonds of support and mateship. I'm thrilled that the Kersbrook men's shed has had their grant application approved and I can't wait to visit the shed once construction is complete.

This round of the Stronger Communities Program operated a little differently than previous rounds. It's required MPs to invite applicants to attend. I want to say now that I thoroughly enjoyed this process. It allowed me to read over 50 applications that were sent to my office from organisations throughout Mayo. I can say with all honesty, hand on heart, that every application was deserving of funding. The Mayo Community Consultation Committee consisted of myself and representatives from all of the local councils in the electorate. The committee was tasked with the challenge of whittling the applications down to just 20. I would like to thank the committee for giving up their time to come together. The homework that they did after hours to ensure that they had thorough knowledge of all of the applications was just tremendous. Some of the selected applications included football and netball clubs seeking to upgrade their facilities and others included local town halls looking to improve their heating and cooling or to install an entertainment system so they could host movie nights for their local community. All are incredibly worthwhile causes and I wish them all the best of luck with the final application process.

The Stronger Communities Program is a genuine initiative that benefits local communities Australia-wide. A strong community is the lifeblood of the Australian way of life. My electorate of Mayo is unique in that it consists of dozens of small, tightly knit communities rather than one major population centre. We have a high rate of volunteering, which will ensure that that $150,000 builds so much more. Each of our communities is different in so many ways. Whether it be the German heritage of towns like Hahndorf or Lobethal, the surfing towns of Middleton and Port Elliot, or my hometown of Birdwood, where car aficionados come to visit the National Motor Museum, each of our communities has an identity that brings people together. There is no doubt that the residents of Mayo understand the true value of a tightly knit community, which is why the Stronger Communities Program is so important to our electorate.

I would like to take the opportunity to applaud the government for this initiative and I would encourage them to announce further rounds of this program—and certainly, a little bit more than $150,000 for an electorate, particularly for one as large as Mayo, would be very welcome. In closing, I hope that all of the other applicants from Mayo are successful—and, indeed, all those across Australia—and I look forward to visiting each and every one in my community in the near future. Congratulations to the government for the Stronger Communities Program. I hope it is repeated, because our communities are everything.

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A number of community organisations in the Moore electorate have already benefited from the first two rounds of the Stronger Communities Program, and there has been strong interest in the third round. An independent assessment panel consisting of community representatives Mr Nick Trandos OAM and Mr Bill Marwick OAM, both Freemen of the City of Joondalup, and Ms Gaelle Gouillou, CEO of The Spiers Centre, met to assess the applications and make a recommendation to the department. Cumulatively, the three rounds of funding will provide up to $450,000 for minor capital projects, which must be matched dollar for dollar by the respective organisations. This demonstrates commitment and co-contribution from the recipient organisations, multiplying the purchasing power of the federal government's grant.

Ocean Ridge Junior Cricket Club applied for a grant of $2,900 to purchase equipment for under-10s practice and matches. Northside Community Church applied for a grant of $5,000 for equipment for a youth group, which will provide an incentive for youth to meet in a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment under the care of qualified adults. Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club applied for a grant of $14,465 to purchase a new inflatable rescue boat and motor, replace three roller doors with new automatic doors for the club, and replace existing patrol and athlete tents, which will assist the club in providing an important community service. The Christian City Church of Hepburn Heights applied for a grant of $3,500 to run a community program which provides low-cost or free health and fitness options to the local community and encourages people to be active. Beaumaris Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $10,000 for new environmental carpet to be installed in the undercover area where community and school gatherings are held. Joondalup Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $7,500 for a robotics and coding program. Poynter Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $10,000 to resurface the basketball courts, which will improve conditions for many sporting activities in interschool competitions. Whitford Catholic Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $5,000 to upgrade playground facilities at the school oval; in particular, to include nature-based play equipment for all age groups, which will benefit both the school and the wider community. Connolly Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $9,135 to purchase Promethean interactive LCD displays, which will connect the real world to the classroom and prepare students to be citizens of the 21st century. Davallia Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $10,000 towards creating a nature playground that allows teachers to extend the traditional learning space of the classroom, fostering imaginative and creative learning opportunities. Padbury Primary School P&C applied for a grant of $10,000 towards the acrylic surfacing of the sporting facilities, which would give students and community teams access to first-class sporting facilities.

The City of Joondalup has also applied for a number of grants, totalling $45,000, for a range of projects, including: upgrading the Whitford Senior Citizens car park to be compliant and prevent potential trip hazards for elderly users of the senior citizens centre; the installation of drinking fountains at parks to provide the local community with access to drinking water while they are participating in recreational activities; a bike skills track suitable for all ages and biking abilities; upgrades to the Sorrento Football Club's rooms; and upgrades to the Otago Park toilets and club rooms. I look forward to receiving confirmation from the department that these projects are approved once they have been assessed for compliance.

Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the member for Fisher for this motion today. Like the member for Longman, I am a bit sceptical about his grandstanding, coming in and announcing all this money for our communities. I do welcome any opportunity to help our hardworking organisations, predominantly the not-for-profit organisations, that deliver real benefits to my wonderful community in Lindsay. I know I say this all the time and everyone is probably sick of hearing me say it, but I do have the best people in my community. They are the salt of the earth and they are incredibly hardworking. They put up with long commutes and limited public transport options. They have significant healthcare concerns, but live with the most under-pressure hospital in the state. Under this government every single one of our public schools is seeing funding cuts, and our university—the only university—is about to lose $98 million. We have a three per cent higher cost of living than those living in Sydney. It is skyrocketing under this government. Wages are flatlining and up to 1,200 of my people have less to spend on their family, bills and groceries thanks to the penalty rate cuts—all while this government gives big business a $65 million handout. So I am sceptical, and those are the reasons why.

Like me, though, the people in my community don't beat about the bush. If they're not happy with you, they'll let you know. But, if someone needs help, they will absolutely be there. Many of them are already doing it tough. As I often say about my community, they would give you a spare rib if they needed to. As such, our not-for-profit organisations frequently are called upon to provide services to people in our community with very little financial backing. They have to be creative; they have think outside the box. In many cases they are providing services for people who have been failed or let down by government.

I think this is a massive cost-shifting exercise. Our community and our community groups end up paying the price. This is why I welcomed with open arms the opportunity to help some of these organisations financially through the Stronger Communities Program. I spent much of my adult life advocating and fundraising for community organisations and I know firsthand the struggles that they face. With the guidance of my volunteer community selection panel I was able to recommend 13 individual community-building projects for 50-50 funding under round 3 of the program. I would like to run through just a couple of them and give a bit of background as to why each is valued and important.

Members in here will have heard me speak about the wonderful work done by the Penrith Women's Health Centre and its CEO, Jane Gold. It provides a safe, one-stop shop for women's health, counselling, education, self-help, advocacy and referral services. Ninety per cent of their work is for women who have been facing DV. I know firsthand that they have saved many women's lives in my community, so I was pleased to support the recommendation that they receive a grant to buy a new interactive whiteboard for the education components of their courses. This upgrade to the technology will be of great benefit to the women who utilise the services.

The NMA has been helping the CALD community in my electorate since 1989. They support the settlement of newly arrived migrants and refugees for up to five years. Laura Sardo and her team, like many community based organisations, struggle to meet the demand for their services. The NMA is planning to purchase a 12-seater bus, which is a significant but necessary expense to ensure vulnerable community members are not left isolated. I was pleased to support their nomination for a $20,000 Lindsay Stronger Communities grant.

Recently I had the incredible honour and pleasure of again opening in my electorate the gala ball of the Australian Foundation for Disability, AFFORD. If we want to talk about inclusion and promoting vibrancy in our community, this is one organisation that lives and breathes it. It has been nominated to receive funding under round 3 of the grants for massage chairs for its Penrith Disabilities Resource Centre. This will be a resource for many of their clients and carers, as well as local community groups, to relax and unwind after the many pressures associated with living with a disability.

We all know the mental and physical benefits of owning a pet—and I'll give a shout out to my own dog, Doggo, who's my son's assistance animal. I was very pleased to support the residents of Glenmore Park, led stoically by Dee Kerr, with their campaign to have an off-leash park provided in our community. Penrith council have combined, and their application for a $20,000 grant under round 3 will see this valuable space in Glenmore Park recognised if that grant is a success.

This weekend I attended the annual presentation night for the biggest sporting association in my electorate, the Nepean Football Association. The NFA provides competitions, facilities and education and training for its 31 member clubs and 12½ thousand players and supporters, including the Nepean Dragons, which is a special-needs soccer program that allows everyone to be included. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but be in awe of the people who put in hours and hours each week to keep the organisation going, including the operations manager, Linda Cerone, and president, Frances Refalo. Upon my recommendation, we've supported a $10,000 for grant those people as well. (Time expired)

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.