Thursday, 28 November 2024

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (17:22): (961) My adjournment tonight is to the Premier, and the action that I seek is that the Premier provide appropriate funding to Caulfield’s outstanding volunteer organisations, which do great work in our community, and particularly ensure that those community organisations receive the funding that they deserve. Only a couple of weeks ago I hosted the Caulfield Volunteer Awards, and I was honoured to recognise so many volunteers in our community. We had over 102 nominations, the biggest ever, and six category winners, which received $1000 each from the Bendigo Bank, and there was $3000 each for the two major awards. They get funding from the bank, but that is nowhere near what they need in order to be able to do their jobs, particularly when they are volunteers.

These are organisations like the 15th Brighton Scouts, with Joanne Rabinov – 16 years of community service as a volunteer, a fantastic job. She devotes more than 10 hours a week, and they really deserve some funding. Greg Sher from the Break – Greg created the Break as a not-for-profit organisation after seeing people relapsing into drug addiction, and Greg does a fantastic job running anger management groups for veterans and others that visit. He runs that organisation on the smell of an oily rag. In sport we have Jonny O’Connor, who has a family tradition of running FairGo Footy at the Ormond junior club, and he works with local kids with special needs and their families to provide footy opportunities and a great place for these kids. At Christmas time this is the kind of joy that we need to be talking about. Ormond football club desperately need the funding that they deserve to kick on with what they do.

George Georgievski runs a drug-free ambassador program, and what he does educating kids about drug addiction is so important. They could really do with some funding. Spiritual engagement – we have got Marianne Bland and Moira Shepherd, volunteers at Calvary care. Calvary care does an amazing job dealing with palliative care and running programs in that centre and desperately needs some help. Emmy Monash health – they are a real institution in our community. Hayley Krongold has been volunteering and doing some great work at Emmy Monash. Again, Emmy Monash desperately needs funding.

Finally, food relief – Foodbank Victoria. We have all spoken about Foodbank. Well, Peter Carey has been driving the truck for Foodbank for a long time now, and in his 80s he is still driving a Foodbank truck. These are the kinds of examples. Rosalie Silverstein I want to finish with at Posh Opp Shoppe ‍– what a fantastic woman – and Eli Boroda and Michaela Raitman from Stars and the Moon. These are great organisations that desperately need some funding.