Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett is standing up on behalf of local volunteers ahead of National Volunteers Week.
Mr Bennett said a future LNP State Government will order a Parliamentary Inquiry into Breaking Down Barriers to Volunteering.
“Here in the Burnett, we rely heavily on the efforts of volunteers, but it’s no secret participation numbers have fallen,” he 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.”
The State of Volunteering in Queensland 2024 Report found participation numbers have fallen under the Palaszczuk-Miles Government, compared to the previous report released in 2021.
“Time, health, financial matters, burnout; these are just some of the issues we hope to be able to help address,” said Mr Bennett.
“If elected in October we will order a Parliamentary Inquiry into Breaking Down Barriers to Volunteering.
“Our volunteers are at the core of our communities and are always putting others first.
“It’s high time the State Government listened and put them first.”
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
ENDS.
13/05/2024