Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington is calling for volunteers and volunteering organisations to have their say as part of the Parliamentary Inquiry to supporting Queensland volunteers.
Mrs Frecklington said the inquiry aims to investigate the barriers preventing higher rates of volunteering across the community.
“Here in the Nanango electorate, we rely heavily on the efforts of volunteers, but it’s no secret participation numbers have fallen,” she said.
“The Salvos, Rural Fire Brigades, Scouts QLD, SES, and various other vital volunteer organisations are the backbone of our local community and quite frankly, we’d be lost without these volunteers.
“However we know there are far too many barriers getting in the way of these dedicated volunteers and this inquiry is the first step to ensure that anyone who has a passion to make a difference in our local community has every opportunity to become a volunteer.”
“The Inquiry delivers on a key commitment from the Government’s 100 Day Plan and will deliver a lifeline to the sector”.
Participation rates among volunteers have fallen by more than 10 per cent over the previous three years.
“Time, health, financial matters, burnout; these are just some of the issues we hope to be able to help address,” said Deb
“Our volunteers are at the core of our communities and are always putting others first and it’s high time we put them first”.
“Our government is listening and the voices of volunteers on the frontline are crucial to finding a better way forward.
“I encourage our volunteers and organisations to reach out, get involved, and have their say.”
The inquiry will focus on the following five areas:
- Restrictions on volunteering caused by legislation and regulation
- Current government support for the sector and opportunities for improvement
- Barriers to volunteering for non-volunteers
- Current restrictions adversely limiting active volunteers
- Opportunities for diversification in the volunteer workforce
The Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee invites submissions addressing any aspect of the inquiry from all interested parties.
Guidelines for making a submission to the parliamentary committee are available here: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=0&id=4456
The closing date for written submissions is 5pm, Friday 28 February 2025.