Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Ministers statements: volunteers

Ros SPENCE (Kalkallo – Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Community Sport, Minister for Carers and Volunteers) (14:18): It is a privilege to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s commitment to our state’s volunteers and community organisations. With more than 360 men’s sheds across Victoria, there are thousands of shedders who volunteer to support the health and wellbeing of each other and to bring communities together. Last week I was thrilled to join the member for Sunbury to meet with members of the Tullamarine Men’s Shed and the Hume Men’s Shed in Sunbury, which are two of 28 men’s sheds to receive grants in the latest round of the men’s shed funding program. From making Christmas decorations and furniture to restoring bicycles and lawnmowers, the building and restoration projects undertaken by men’s sheds certainly do not stop at the shed door. Our communities across the state benefit greatly from these volunteers, and this government is really pleased to support their work.

Volunteers contribute so much to our state, and I have seen this firsthand as Minister for Community Sport. While the government has invested a record $1.9 billion in community sports infrastructure since 2014, this would not count for much if it were not for the hundreds of thousands of participants playing sport every week matched by the hundreds of thousands of tireless volunteers. Not only do we support our volunteers but we celebrate them, and last week I was delighted to attend the 2023 Volunteering Awards to recognise the 28 individuals and the 24 organisations who were nominated as finalists and who have all made exceptional contributions to their local communities. I am incredibly proud of all our volunteers across Victoria regardless of what area they work in, and I thank all of them for everything that they do.