NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES UNDERFUNDED - SYKES

Recently announced State Government grants for Neighbourhood Centre projects, whilst welcome, fail to address the fundamental need of Neighbourhood Centres in North East Victoria for money to adequately pay project co-ordinators.

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, made this claim whilst advising communities of several welcome funding opportunities for Neighbourhood Centre projects under the Department for Victorian Communities Building Stronger Communities Program.

Dr Sykes explained, “On the face of it the Program seems like a good start by the Bracks Government. However, as I understand it, none of those grant opportunities provide funding for the project co-ordinators who are absolutely vital to the success of Neighbourhood Centres.”

“The second significant problem is that most of the local government areas in the Benalla Electorate are deemed ineligible for most of the grants.”

“Our Neighbourhood Centres provide extremely valuable support services to communities throughout Victoria,” said Dr Sykes.

“For example, the Mt Beauty Neighbourhood Centre has over 1000 members and provides a range of life skill and education programs as well as basic internet access and faxing facilities.”

“Unfortunately Mt Beauty and the other Centres are chronically under-funded – for example Project Co-ordinator Yvonne Evans at Mt Beauty works over 60 hours per week and yet she is only paid for 15 hours per week.”

Dr Sykes continued, “The apparent reason for Mt Beauty’s funding shortfall is that the Bracks Government is using flawed statistical information upon which to make their funding decisions.”

“The Bracks Government has wrongly judged the Mt Beauty area to be quite wealthy based on statistics collected during the snow season when the population doubles due to the influx of skiers from the wealthy suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney.”

“What really frustrates Yvonne Evans and the Mt Beauty Neighbourhood Centre is that the Government and bureaucrats won’t accept that they have got it wrong.”

“I have raised this issue in Parliament on several occasions and I will continue to do so until commonsense prevails and Mt Beauty and other Neighbourhood Centres get appropriate funding,” explained Dr Sykes.

“The Boonie Doon Community Centre is experiencing exactly the same problems as funding for their co-ordinator cuts out on 30th June 2006. At this stage the project co-ordinator is only being funded for 8 hours per week which is totally inadequate.”

“Other Neighbourhood Centres which have approached me over funding include Waminda House at Benalla and the Violet Town Community Centre. I will be visiting these Centres again early in 2006 to assess their specific needs and to support their claims,” continued Dr Sykes.

“The restrictions on those eligible to apply under the new funding program shows absolute contempt by the Bracks Government for many Victorian communities. Our Neighbourhood Centres are such a valuable resource which are consistently undervalued by the Government.”

The Building Stronger Communities Program includes the following grants:

1. The Modernising Neighbourhood Houses Program – grants of up to $300,000.00 are available for new Neighbourhood House facilities in specified areas of high need where there is not currently a Neighbourhood House; grants of up to $50,000.00 are available to support redevelopment or co-location of an existing Neighbourhood House; and, grants of up to $25,000.00 are available to support information and communication technology infrastructure and services in existing Neighbourhood Houses. (Eligible local government areas: the Strathbogie Shire, the Rural City of Wangaratta and the City of Greater Shepparton.)

2. The Community Bus Program - grants of up to $100,000.00 are available for the purchase of new buses, or leasing costs of a bus for up to 3 years, and associated equipment. (Eligible local government areas: the Strathbogie Shire, the Rural City of Wangaratta and the City of Greater Shepparton.)

3. Volunteer Support Grants – grants of up to $250,000.00 are available to establish and/or expand community partnerships, and to design and implement innovative and sustainable projects to support volunteer participation at local or regional levels. (All eligible.)

4. Community Enterprise Grants – grants of up to $50,000.00 are available to groups that plan to establish or develop an enterprise or community business venture providing they demonstrate broad community support and involvement, show clear links between the proposal and community outcomes. (All eligible.)

Councils, Neighbourhood Centres and community organisations in local government areas other than those identified above may negotiate partnership grant applications with neighbouring local council areas.

Dr Sykes concluded, “I call on the Bracks Government to provide money where it is really needed, and to simplify the application process.”

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989