Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, $1,157,391,000

Administered Items for the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, $196,289,000

Membership:

Mr Tarzia substituted for Ms Sanderson.

Mr Griffiths substituted for Mr Speirs.

Mr Gardner substituted for Mr Knoll.

Minister:

Hon. Z.L. Bettison, Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers.

Departmental Advisers:

Mr T. Harrison, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms S. Wallace, Executive Director, Community Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms A. Chooi, Director, Strategic Finance, Financial and Business Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms N. Rogers, Director, Office of the Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr G. Myers, Principal Coordinator, Strategic Projects, Office of the Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms J. Kennedy, Director, Engagement and Grants, Community Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

The CHAIR: I welcome back the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Before we get started, there is an agreed time frame: 1.15pm to 2pm is Multicultural SA, and 2pm to 2.30pm is Office for Volunteers. I declare the proposed payments open for examination. I refer members to Agency Statements, Volume 1. I now invite the minister to introduce any new advisers she has with her and then make an opening statement, if she wishes.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I welcome my new committee members here today. To my left is Tony Harrison, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion; to my far left is Angela Chooi, Director, Strategic Finance, Financial and Business Services; to my right is Sue Wallace, Executive Director, Community Services. I have an opening statement.

In South Australia, we can pride ourselves on the vitality and overall success of our multiculturalism, but we must also acknowledge the enormous scope of effort that underpins this success. This includes the government's strong partnership with the multicultural community and sector. Also fundamental is a commitment to not only celebrating and promoting our state's vibrant multiculturalism but recognising and responding to the diverse needs, aspirations and contributions of those who choose to call South Australia home.

Some of our communities have become well established over generations; others are recent. People come to South Australia to work or study, they come to pursue opportunities, they come to join families and loved ones and they come fleeing unspeakable trauma. They come in hope of a better life. Our multicultural program must reflect this diversity of need, strengths, perspectives and circumstances.

The Multicultural Action Plan for South Australia 2017-18, which is developed in consultation with the sector, is one way this government is demonstrating its commitment to responding to our diverse communities. Officially released in November 2016, the action plan demonstrates our commitment to building, strengthening and celebrating our multicultural communities and ethos. Implementation of the action plan is well underway with:

the development of the South Australian interpreting and translating policy for migrant and non-verbal (sign) languages, a whole-of-government interpreting and translating policy which commences from January 2018;

the development of a Say No To Racism training package, which will be implemented as a full-day course by the South Australian division of the Institute of Public Administration Australia in late 2017;

the continued development of the Living Safe Together program in partnership with the commonwealth government, including the development of the Youth Inclusion Intervention program; and

a cultural awareness training module for public sector staff, which will be available in late 2017.

Our Multicultural Infrastructure Grants program has continued to support grassroots infrastructure for communities—places where they can connect with each other and with the wider community. The program allocates $1 million per annum to support community organisations in constructing or upgrading facilities.

In 2016-17, six organisations received this funding. The Stronger Families, Stronger Communities Grants program provides one-off funding to community organisations for projects that address priority needs and issues and improve outcomes for culturally diverse communities. From 2015-16 to 2016-17, the program had a budget allocation of $2 million, with 13 organisations receiving funding over the two-year period.

The Grants SA program also includes multicultural communities as a priority group and provides further opportunities for one-off funding throughout the year. In 2016-17, $450,000 was available to develop and strengthen multicultural communities and organisations, with 103 projects receiving funding. We also continue to celebrate our cultural diversity through a vast number of multicultural festivals and events. Some of these are iconic events that have been well-established over generations.

Importantly, we also provide support for new and emerging communities to share their cultural heritage, including through the third Multicultural Festival, which will be held in Rundle Mall on Sunday 5 November this year. It has been a privilege to continue to serve as Minister for Multicultural Affairs during 2016-17 and to support this government's vision of an open, inclusive, cohesive and equitable multicultural society, where diversity is understood, valued and supported.

I would also like to express my appreciation to all our multicultural communities for the wonderful contribution they make to a strong and resilient South Australia. I make mention of the bipartisan relationship both sides of parliament express and commit to our multicultural communities. I am very committed to our communities, and I see that that commitment is also followed through.

It is a great joy of mine to be the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. I know, through the years I have had this role, that I have got to know the South Australian community in greater depth than I ever would have. I think the shadow, if I may speak on his behalf, would probably express the same opinion. It is a unique role within the South Australian government, but it is a role that is incredibly important and a very special opportunity.

The CHAIR: Thank you. Member for Morialta, do you have an opening statement?

Mr GARDNER: Yes, very briefly. Can I thank the minister for her opening statement and reflecting on the importance of the bipartisanship of multicultural affairs as a policy area. It is very important that new people coming to South Australia do not feel alienated in any way for having a different heritage and stories in their culture, and in fact feel that they are celebrated across the South Australian parliament. This is something I think is very important. I have some questions, sir.

The CHAIR: Yes.

Mr GARDNER: In relation to the multicultural part of this department, as best I can tell most of the multicultural matters are contained within sub-programs 1.2 and 1.5 on pages 107, 108 and 112 of Budget Paper 4, Volume 1. I cannot imagine too many questions coming from outside those budget papers. I will start with sub-program 1.2, page 108, as a reference for all my questions. If there is anything else, we can deal with that as it comes.

At last year's 2016 estimates it was identified that the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC) received $409,000 out of sub-program 1.2's funding line. That included four full-time equivalent staff, three of whom I think were directly working for SAMEAC and one for Multicultural SA, but all were funded under that same line. In addition to that, the SAMEAC chair's salary was listed as $27,000, and that was in addition to those four FTEs. Can the minister first clarify: does the $27,000 salary for the SAMEAC chair come out of the $409,000 allocated to SAMEAC in the 2016-17 budget year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that it does, and there is no material change in the department's allocation to support the commission. It is $410,000 in this year's budget.

Mr GARDNER: So, the minister has confirmed $410,000 for 2017-18. Do you have a figure for each year of the forward estimates for SAMEAC?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have that detail, but I would expect it would be a similar amount of money going forward.

Mr GARDNER: Of the $409,000 that was budgeted for SAMEAC in 2016-17, do we have an estimated final result or a final result for how SAMEAC went, whether they were right on the money for that $409,000 figure?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, they were. The estimated result is $410,000.

Mr GARDNER: Confirming that going forward for 2017-18 we continue with four FTEs plus the SAMEAC chair?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that in 2016-17 we have three full-time equivalents. I am not sure where the fourth came from.

Mr GARDNER: In the 2015 estimates the minister identified that back then it was $304,000 for SAMEAC, which was three full-time staff plus $105,000 for Multicultural SA to support SAMEAC, which, I am told, was a fourth. Last year, with all the funding being moved into sub-program 1.2, I think we established that it was four full-time staff and $409,000. That is where mine are coming from. Is that correct?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that there have been some different divisions within community services as to how that is allocated. If you are asking me about the FTEs for SAMEAC, I would say three FTEs. Of course, there are supplies and services and those board fees as well, which takes us to $410,000.

Mr GARDNER: Is there a person working for your department whose full-time job is to assist SAMEAC and who is not counted in those three FTEs under SAMEAC?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will ask Sue Wallace to detail that.

Ms WALLACE: Staff across the division of community services support the work of SAMEAC, so there is constant interaction between support for SAMEAC and the work of the division. There is also a direct report line for one of the staff members supporting SAMEAC back into the division.

Mr GARDNER: What is the financial value of that report line?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think we might go to the FTEs that are involved. As you might recall from previous conversations, we have combined within the organisation Volunteers, Youth and Multicultural. So, what we have are 120.9 FTEs across that community sector. Grants management is 28 FTEs, community sector capacity building is 14 FTEs, policy development is 22 FTEs, place-based Aboriginal programs is 43 FTEs and the corporate allocation is 13.9 FTE allocation. That is across that division. Of course, we have had some changes where the interpreting and translating centre now sits within DCSI's corporate services division, and that probably has some changes from previous times.

Mr GARDNER: In relation to the funding in Sub-program 1.5: Multicultural Services, page 112, is any of that $3.4 million directed by the work of SAMEAC and, if so, how much? Does any of that money go towards supporting SAMEAC?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that is purely the grant line we have that is detailed in sub-program 1.5.

Mr GARDNER: That is the multicultural grants?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am happy to detail those grants—

Mr GARDNER: We could potentially consider that later, but that is not my question. That is just those grants which are determined by the department. What grant programs, if any, are determined by SAMEAC?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: There is no direct funding that SAMEAC directs. However, two representatives usually sit when we make decisions on Grants SA, as part of the Grants Assessment Panel. Historically, members from SAMEAC have always had a role in that assessment or advisory process, and they continue to do so, amongst other people as well.

Mr GARDNER: When did SAMEAC cease to have a role in determining those grants, other than the members of SAMEAC who now sit with the grants assessment panel? When was that change made?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I would argue that they never ceased having a role within that.

Mr GARDNER: Can I ask the question in a different way then, perhaps: when did the process change?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As you may recall, Grants SA commenced in April 2016, and that is when the new procedure started. As I am advised—and I stand to be corrected—it was never purely just SAMEAC members making that decision. Members of the department always sat on the GAC, the previous grants advisory committee, and not just SAMEAC.

Mr GARDNER: Indeed; so since April 2016 we have had the new model. SAMEAC members sit on this panel only for the assessment of multicultural grants; is that correct?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No, they sit across the board. It is not just two people, but two people each time. As you might know, we do the minor rounds, finishing at the end of every month. The medium round is four times a year and the major round is twice a year. The commitment to being on the assessment panel is quite significant. We train several SAMEAC members who nominate to be available. It would be potentially two different people every time we bring together this assessment panel. We find that the more often they do that the more efficient and the quicker they are.

Mr GARDNER: Is there a publicly available list of the members of the grants committee and how often they have sat as part of the panel? If not, are you able to provide that information? I am particularly interested in the SAMEAC members who have participated in this.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We do not have a list in front of us. Whenever I note the outcome of these grants, there is mention of who is on the panel at that time, so it will take some time for us to get that. I can be very clear to you that a variety of people spend time on those grants programs.

Mr GARDNER: How often does that panel meet? How often has it met?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Obviously, it would have to meet at least once a month because of the minor rounds. I will ask Sue for those details.

Ms WALLACE: The minor round meets monthly, the medium round meets four times a year and the major round of $50,000 a year meets twice a year.

Mr GARDNER: There have been 18 meetings per year, then. I appreciate that the minister said that she will be able to get back to me in relation to the SAMEAC members sitting. If we are talking about 18 meetings of this group, can we have a list of who sat on those panels for those meetings?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have a problem with sharing that information with you. The key thing I would say is that this was a pilot program that we started last year, and we have made tweaks to make it work as efficiently and effectively as possible, but that process has remained the same.

Mr TARZIA: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 112. The financial table shows an increase of $33,000 in expenses for multicultural services in the 2017-18 budget. Can the minister explain where the additional $33,000—

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I understand that is indexation. It was 1.7 per cent in 2016-17 and it will be 2 per cent in 2017-18.

Mr TARZIA: Is the minister able to provide a breakdown of the total number of expenses within multicultural services?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Obviously, it will be our grants program, including the core funding. I am happy to go there, if we are all ready. Perhaps I could talk through the key parts to this, and then if we wish we can go further. Are you asking about the 2017-18 year, or you would like to focus—

Mr GARDNER: 2017-18.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: There was $450,000 for the Celebrating Diversity program. That includes our major festivals and three-year funded festivals and the Multicultural Festival, which I mentioned will be in November this year. There is $400,000 in core funding and other contributions, and I will talk through that later. There are Grants SA and Multicultural SA one-off grants of $400,000; Stronger Families, Stronger Communities, $1 million; Multicultural Infrastructure Grants, $1 million. That takes us to the $3.34 million.

Mr KNOLL: Is there a breakdown on the Multicultural Infrastructure Grants?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I can do that. While we are looking for that, in regard to the core funding in the budget of 2016-17, it was $10,000 to the Australia Day Council; $22,550 to The Ethnic Broadcaster; Multicultural Communities Council of SA, $186,441; the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, $53,124; the Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation Inc., $10,000; the Don Dunstan Foundation, $5,000; the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia, $95,630; and the women's leadership course, $12,000. That is our core funding.

You were asking about the infrastructure grants program. The six projects that were funded through the Project Proposal stream in 2016-17 comprised the Adelaide Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara Inc. as a contribution towards building a new facility, including a community hall and accommodation block; the Northern Area Migrant Resource Centre, to upgrade an existing facility to include a separate community activity room; the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia, to upgrade facilities—

Mr GRIFFITHS: Minister, do you also have the dollars attached to each of those areas?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Sorry—the Sri Lankan figure is $45,117; the Northern Area Migrant Resource Centre, $150,000; GOCSA, $200,000 to improve disability access, upgrading the Olympic Hall foyer to make it wheelchair accessible and installing a disability access toilet; the Guru Nanak Society of Australia Inc., to renovate the temple to accommodate weekly community programs for families living in Port Augusta and the Iron Triangle to include a small library and kitchen upgrade, freestanding pergola and paving, $20,000; the South Australian German Association, to improve disability access by installing accessible front foyer doors, a scissor lift to the bistro area and two unisex disability access toilets, $150,000; and the Vietnamese Women's Association, to install a stair lift to provide access to people with a disability, $11,000.

In 2017-18, there was $1 million budgeted that will be done over two rounds. The priority for 2017-18 is to increase the accessibility of facilities. Five people were successful in the first round: the Community Centre, Serbia and Montenegro SA Inc., to install a new front-loading dishwasher to make volunteer kitchen work easier and safer, $16,055; the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia trading as the Ridleyton Greek Home for the Aged, towards building a gym which meets the specific needs of older people, $100,000; Alliance Francaise d'Adelaide Inc., to install wheelchair accessible ramps at the front of the building and renovate internally and externally, $34,364; the Australian Refugee Association for funding towards a shared multicultural community hub, $89,735; and Amazing Northern Multicultural Services Inc. for funding towards the upgrade of facilities, including a kitchen and toilets for $90,000. There is a second round of multicultural grants.

Mr GRIFFITHS: I am impressed that within 27 days of a financial year you have spent that level of funds already.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Because, under Treasurer's Instructions, we need to spend the money in a set period of time, we advertise prior to the beginning of the financial year for it to be spent within that year. We have learnt a lot with this infrastructure program because it was a new program less than two years ago, and one of the things was to make sure that people were ready. I like to describe us as the icing on the cake—not the cake, the flour, the eggs, the milk or the butter, one might say.

We need to have people at a certain readiness, so we have looked at project proposals. For example, people have to have council approval, have the designs made up and be able to complete it. So, we learn how to work well with people. We are doing a lot more engagement with communities to make sure they understand at what point they need to be before they put their applications in.

Mr GRIFFITHS: The applications cannot be funded retrospectively for projects already undertaken, only for those in the planning.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No.

Mr TARZIA: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 105. Outlined in the financial table, it states that the total number of full-time employees in the program Thriving Communities has a total of 753.6 FTEs. Can the minister please provide a breakdown of the number of FTEs within multicultural services as at 30 June 2017?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Sorry, the Thriving Communities sub-program does not relate to multicultural affairs, and I detailed earlier how we break down the FTEs.

Mr TARZIA: So, in Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 105, you are saying that the Thriving Communities program—

Mr GARDNER: Thriving Communities includes multicultural services.

Mr TARZIA: Yes, from page 105 it does appear that—

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My apologies. That is where the staff are located.

Mr TARZIA: Could you elaborate on that?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My apologies again. There are no FTEs allocated to the sub-program. As I said before, we consolidate those with the Office for Youth, Volunteers and Carers and Multicultural SA. We have a consolidated policy team enabling the integrated policy and program development there and, therefore, employee expenditure and FTEs are reported in Sub-program 1.2: Community Services. I detailed that breakdown just before. So, it is 120.9 FTEs: grants management, 28; community sector capacity building, 14; policy development, 22; place-based and Aboriginal programs, 43; and then we have a corporate allocation of 13.09.

Mr TARZIA: How much is allocated to the one-off grants program from multicultural services?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is 400,000 but, of course, when you are considering all of that funding you would have to look at the major festivals and the three-year festivals, so that is a combination.

Mr TARZIA: I am sure this is the part we have all been looking forward to: is the minister able to provide a breakdown of all the organisations that were successful in receiving 2016-17 grants from Multicultural Affairs? Can this include the amounts and what the grant was for, and if you have allocated to them for 2017-18 as well?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: This is specifically for multicultural funding. While I read these multicultural ones, because of the way we have reformed Grants SA, multicultural groups have also been able to sometimes get money through what was the Charitable and Social Welfare Fund or stuff for volunteers as well, but primarily it is through multicultural. That is just to say that, when they have been applying, they can do that.

Mr GARDNER: Minister, can I quickly clarify, before you go through the multicultural list: those multicultural groups that did receive grants through one of those other two programs you have just identified, are they going to be included in the list you are about to read?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I can detail those for you. It is just a handful, but I am saying that probably was not something that they looked at previously. I think you are specifically asking about the Grants SA one-off or are you asking for major festivals and three-year festivals as well?

Mr TARZIA: Grants from multicultural affairs.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We will start with the major festivals then. The major festivals are the Unmasked African Festival, $20,000; the Alliance Francaise, the French markets, $15,000; the Australian-Indonesian Association of SA, Indofest, $20,000; the Chinese New Year festival, $30,000; and the Carnevale Italian Festival. To be clear on this, it was $21,800 this last financial year, but they are changing the date, so I have worked with them; they traditionally get a much higher amount of that money. There is the Phillipine Fiesta, which is one of our new major festivals, $15,000; the Glendi Greek Festival, $60,000; the Indian Mela, $30,000; Salam Festival, $15,000; Schutzenfest, $20,000; and the Tet Lunar New Year, $30,000.

The three-year festivals are the Onam Festival, which is the Adelaide and Metropolitan Malayalee Association, $5,000; the Newroz Festival of the Adelaide Kurdish Youth Society, $10,000; the Adelaide Tamil Association, Sangamam festival, $5,000; Congolese Community Network Access, cultural festival and independence day, $5,000; Croatian Sports Centre SA, through the Croatian Food and Wine Festival, $5,000; Dozynki, the Polish Harvest Festival, $10,000; the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Third Archdiocesan District—Intercommunities Council, which does the Glenelg Greek Festival, $5,000; the Norwood Greek Festival, $5,000; GOCSA, which does the Hellenic Cultural Festival Odyssey, $5,000; and GOCSA, the George Street community Greek festival, $5,000.

Further, there is the Greek Orthodox Community of the Nativity of Christ Port Adelaide and Environs, Semaphore Greek cultural festival, $5,000; the Guru Nanak Society, Lohri Mela, $5,000; the Holy Mary of Montevergine Association, $5,000; Eid al-Fitr, for the Islamic Information Centre, $5,000; the Japan Australia Friendship Association, the Kodomo no Hi, known as Children's Day, $10,000; the Korean Culture and Food Festival, $10,000; the Laziza festival, $10,000; the Liberian cultural festival, otherwise known as the Kendeja FEST, $5,000; the Middle Eastern Communities Council of South Australia, Nowruz—Middle Eastern New Year, $5,000; and the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia, SA Refugee Week, $10,000.

There is also the Pan-Macedonian Association of South Australia, the Dimitria Greek Festival, $5,000; Port Lincoln Tunarama Inc., Mosaic on Eyre event, $5,000; the Riverland Youth Theatre and Riverland Multicultural Forum, Riverland Harmony Day, $5,000; the Sikh Society of South Australia annual Vaisakhi dinner, $5,000; the South Australian Bangladeshi Community Association, Bijoy Dibosh Festival, $5,000; the Dutch Community Incorporated, Dutch festival, $10,000; the Zhu-Lin Buddhist Association, Chinese New Year celebration, $5,000; and Welcome to Australia, Walk Together, $10,000.

The multicultural funding in the minor rounds—this is obviously people applying at the end of every month; they can apply through that—are the Kannada Rajyotsava celebration of art and culture, $3,500; Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samitee, Shivgarjana Adelaide live music band, $1,500 and the same group and a similar event in 2016, $2,340; Adelaide Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara, Sri Lanka New Year 2017, $4,500; Adelaide Tamil Association, Deepavali Festival of Lights, $5,000; the Afghan National Association of Australia, Nowruz Afghan New Year event, $800; the Arabic Language and Culture Association of South Australia, the monthly Arabic cultural exchange session, $5,000; Armenians connect and celebrate, through the Armenian Cultural Association of South Australia, $3,500; and the Carabinieri, the yearly anniversary dinner dance showcasing Italian culture and uniforms, $2,500.

It also includes the Australian Donna Association, exploring the legacy of the Italian language across generations of women, $5,000, and the Australian Irish Dancing Association, showcasing the culture of Irish dance, $5,000. Adelaide Migrant Resource Centre had MYLink Strengthened Connections, $5,000, and a Syrian Young Active Ambassadors Positive Stories Project, $4,800.

The list includes the South-East Asian Women's Association, upgrade of office equipment, $5,000; the Austrian Association of South Australia, 60 Year Gala Ball, $3,000; and the Bangladesh Puja Cultural Society have Bengali New Year, $4,200, and Kali Puja 2016, $1,255.

Further, it includes the Bhutanese Australian Association of South Australia, settlement day event, $5,000; Bosniaks' Association, outdoor upgrade, $4,734; Bosnian Herzegovina Muslim Society, a dishwasher, $3,947; Bund der Bayern, purchasing traditional costumes, $3,500 and they also received microphones for $2,900; C.a.F.E Enfield childcare centre, multicultural families with special needs support group, $2,025; Cambodian New Year Festival, $5,000; digital literacy for seniors, $4,878; and Chinatown Double Seventh Festival, $5,000.

It includes Chinese Music and Arts, which received three grants, one for the CALD youth forming Chinese Orchestra purchasing instruments, $4,507, and the purchase of costumes and stools, $3,007, and the set-up and pilot of Young Oriental Harmonies, $4,388; Christian Outreach Centre, sponsoring of Lifeforce Bubble Ball Soccer, $4,200; Divine Orchestra Music Ministry purchasing a PA system for the Wild Night in Australia program—I highly recommend it—$5,000; FICSA, Club 60 at the Federation of Indian Communities, senior events, $4,800; the Filipino Settlement Coordinating Council of SA, independence day community celebrations, $5,000; Freedom Ministries, community food project, $5,000; Ghana@60 independence day celebration, $3,225; and Gurjari SA's Navratri Garba, $3,090. I did go to that and it was 12 hours of dancing, which I did not do, but it was quite an exceptional event to go to.

The list continues with the Hindu Council of Australia's Deepavali Mela, $5,000; Hungarian Korosi Csoma Sandor Cultural Circle, upgrading digital equipment, $1,800; IAASA's India's independence day celebration; Iranian Women Organisation, which is a new organisation set up just recently, Nowruz Bazaar, $4,480—

Mr GARDNER: Sorry, minister, how much was the Indian Australian Association just before?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That was $2,500. It is separate to the Mela. It is a different event that they have. Continuing the list, it includes the Iraqi Community Cultural Association, $3,500; Iraqi Families United of South Australia's Iraq Annual Dinner, $2,100; JusticeNet SA, legal practice resources for volunteers, $4,725; Keli Adelaide, $5,000; Kenya Association, $4,913; the Fly Away identity workshops with Afghan Youth for Lutheran Community Care, $4,613; Magwi Development Agency, volunteer training; and Many Threads Fund, independence day and graduation, $3,220. MCC have several: learning from each other, $2,000; multicultural youth development project, $2,500; Harmony Picnic Day, $5,000; and a multicultural playgroup, $4,337.

It also includes the Hellene and Hellene-Cypriot Women of Australia, data projector, $2,243; Overseas Chinese Association, Mid-Autumn Festival, $4,600, and the 35^th anniversary celebration open day, $5,000; Pakistan-Australia Literary Forum, $2,200; Panache Adelaide French Theatre, $5,000; and Papua New Guinea Association, independence day, $1,600.

It continues: Pashtun Association equipment needs, $714; Punjab Aussie Association of South Australia, Vaisakhi Mela, $4,700; Reedbeds Community Centre, Big BBQ, $2,653; Shruthi Adelaide, Celebration of Womanhood, $3,170, and Young Talents Day, $3,020; Sinhala Broadcasting Service, community radio, $2,500; Somali Bantu Community Association, community tours, $5,000; Bor community, their community national day, $3,053, and communication tools to improve information, $3,450; Telangana Association, festival, $2,150, and basic assets for the community; the Bangladeshi Community Association, Bengali New Year Festival, $3,000; the Swiss Club of South Australia, anniversary celebration, $4,036; and, the Burundian community, 12^th anniversary and Multicultural Independence Day celebration, $3,500.

Further, we had the Dante Alighieri Society of South Australia, Italian playgroup, $4,995; the House of Arts and Culture, Seeking the Light Valentine Night, $3,500; Latvian Relief Society, new oven and stove, $2,098; the Slovenian Club, enhancing communication and engagement, $5,000; Uniting Church in Australia, equipment for op shop, $1,748; the Vietnamese Catholic community in SA, family day, $3,500; Turkish Association of South Australia, celebrating the Turkish Republic, $2,367; the United Sudanese Community Association, equipment, $4,924; the Vietnamese Community in Australia, Trung Thu—Vietnamese Children's Full Moon Festival, $4,000; the Fiji Association, cultural dinner, $3,000; and, the Zomi Innkuan Adelaide have three grants: thanksgiving day, $5,000, office equipment, $5,000, and, national day celebration, $2,000.

There are medium rounds as well, including: the Adelaide Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samitee Incorporated, $9,000; African Communities Council, purchase of office equipment for Elizabeth office, $7,620; Alliance Francaise d'Adelaide, floor coverings, $9,981; the Australia Day Council of South Australia, the city parade workshops, $7,149; Australian Refugee Association, Harmony Day and Refugee Week, $7,520; and Centacare Catholic Family Services, Youth Mental Health Resource Translation Project, $12,570.

CO.AS.IT—something that the member for Hartley is very aware of—have done an excellent pilot, which is building wellbeing and resilience across CO.AS.IT Ageing Italian Community, $17,418. While we are talking about CO.AS.IT, they have done these apps to help with communication for those people often going back to their birth language. Now they have collaborated with both the Bhutanese and the Vietnamese communities to develop this app. I have to say, excellent work, and I am really proud of the work they have done.

The medium round continues: Cyprus Festival, $16,332; Greek Orthodox Community and Parish of Norwood and Eastern Suburbs, supply two new electric ovens, $13,660; IAASA, equipment for the hall, $18,975; Let's Talk Together Association, $6,058; the Vietnamese Women's Association, Looking Back...Looking Forward, $10,842; and, Volunteering SA and NT, management conference, $16,500.

In the major rounds, we have the Australian Refugee Association, crucial comforts, $5,000; Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast, Me and IT, $7,000; SIN, the multicultural project officer for CALD; Teen Challenge SA, reroofing client and volunteer rehabilitation facilities; and the Anangu Aboriginal Corp.

I think a few crossed over. For the minor rounds, Adelaide Bangladeshi Cultural Club, for their festival, received $1,254, under what was the CBSA. ARA received $5,000 for their multicultural hub. The Puja society received $3,526 for Durga Puja 2016 and Saraswati Puja 2017. Emo'ya'M'mbondo, a Sudanese group, received $4,820 for some office equipment.

Magwi Development Agency received $5,000 for women of strength supporting each other, MCC training resources for digital life admin, crockery and a multicultural playgroup. The Pashtun Association received money for equipment. The Tanzanian Community Association received $1,525 for the Family Day Out. The Burundians received $2,350 for their soccer community event. There is more availability across those grants, but most multicultural groups apply for the SA grants program.

The CHAIR: I hope that answers your question, member for Hartley.

Mr TARZIA: I am happy for you to take this on notice, minister. Is the minister able to provide a breakdown of all the organisations who were refused 2016-17 grants from multicultural affairs? Can this include the reasons as to why these groups were refused the grant funding?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: When you say 'refused', first of all—

Mr TARZIA: Declined.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I just need to clarify. When people apply to Grants SA, there are some people who are ineligible to apply because it does not fit our grants criteria, then there are people who are eligible but it was oversubscribed. Are you keen to know who was eligible but did not get a grant?

Mr TARZIA: Correct.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: They would not have got a grant because they would have been ranked by the assessment panel.

Mr TARZIA: Yes.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not know if I have all that information. I will have to take that on notice and see what I can provide for you. It is obviously quite substantial. It is probably equal to the amount of people I have just read out now.

Mr TARZIA: The omnibus questions are:

1. Will the minister provide a detailed breakdown of expenditure on consultants and contractors above $10,000 in 2016-17 for all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, listing the name of the consultant, contractor or service supplier, cost, work undertaken and method of appointment?

2. In financial year 2016-17 for all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, what underspending on projects and programs (1) was and (2) was not approved by cabinet for carryover expenditure in 2017-18?

3. For each department and agency reporting to the minister, please provide a breakdown of attraction, retention and performance allowances, as well as non-salary benefits, paid to public servants and contractors in the years 2015-16 and 2016-17.

4. For each agency for which the minister has responsibility:

(a) How many FTEs were employed to provide communication and promotion activities in 2016-17 and what was their employment expense?

(b) How many FTEs are budgeted to provide communication and promotion activities in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, and what is their estimated employment expense?

(c) The total cost of government-paid advertising, including campaigns, across all mediums, in 2016-17, and budgeted cost for 2017-18.

5. For each agency for which the minister has responsibility:

(a) What was the cost of electricity in 2016-17?

(b) What is the budgeted cost of electricity in 2017-18?

(c) What is the provisioned cost of electricity in 2018-19, 2019-20 and, 2020-21?

6. For each grant program or fund the minister is responsible for please provide the following information for the 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years:

(a) Balance of the grant program or fund;

(b) Budgeted (or actual) expenditure from the program or fund;

(c) Budgeted (or actual) payments into the program or fund;

(d) Carryovers into or from the program or fund; and

(e) Details, including the value and beneficiary, of any commitments already made to be funded from the program or fund.

The CHAIR: As per the agreed timetable, I now call the minister back as Minister for Volunteers. Welcome, Minister for Volunteers. Do you have any new advisers to introduce to us?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No, the advisers continue.

The CHAIR: Do you have an opening statement about volunteers?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, I do. Communities across South Australia depend on over 900,000 volunteers who support a vast range of activities and services to the value of approximately $5 billion per year. Our volunteers contribute to the wellbeing of our state. They are in increasing demand in a complex and rapidly changing society and are fundamental to our way of life. Launched in 2014, the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2014-2020 is an investment in the foundations and the future of our state's volunteering.

This year, the strategy has reached its midpoint, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the significant achievements. This strategy is a world first, bringing together four sectors—the South Australian government, Volunteering SA&NT, Business SA and the Local Government Association of South Australia—in a genuine and sustained collaboration. It demonstrates the real value of partnership and coordinating efforts to support the vibrancy and sustainability of our volunteer sector. It ensures that we embrace new opportunities for harnessing the benefits of volunteering in our community.

One of the strategy's key aims is to maintain a volunteer rate of 70 per cent or higher. I am pleased to say that the Volunteering in South Australia 2016 survey report found that volunteer participation in South Australia continues to remain high, with 68 per cent of the population involved in volunteering. This equates to more than 920,000 South Australians. The recently released figures from the 2016 ABS Census of Population and Housing showed South Australia to have the highest rate of volunteering for the states in Australia, and in the national average we are only second to the ACT.

To maintain this high level of volunteering, we need to encourage young people to volunteer and develop a volunteering ethos that they will carry into the future. The strategy's volunteer recognition scheme is supporting this objective through a number of projects and achievements. Through the WeDo app, we are providing young people with easy access to volunteering opportunities and potential employers with a record of their volunteering hours and contributions. I had the pleasure of formally launching the app during the Royal Adelaide Show in September 2016. Since the launch, there has been a steady increase in users of the app, with downloads increasing to more than 200 per month.

The government recognises the invaluable contributions of our volunteers through a range of events and awards. Most prominently, the state Volunteers Day thank you event and presentation of the South Australian Volunteer Awards was held at the Adelaide Town Hall over the June long weekend. The truly festive event was attended by an estimated 1,000 volunteers and supported by fantastic entertainment courtesy of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

During 2016-17, we also recognised outstanding volunteer service through almost 4,500 South Australian volunteer certificates of appreciation and 285 Premier's certificates of recognition. We have also funded many volunteer programs and initiatives through our Grants SA program, which gives volunteer organisations access to a range of one-off funding opportunities throughout the year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank again our many wonderful volunteering organisations and volunteers, who truly help to make South Australia great.

The CHAIR: Thank you, minister.

Membership:

Mr Bell substituted for Mr Gardner.

The CHAIR: Welcome, the member for Mount Gambier. Are you the lead speaker or not?

Mr BELL: No.

The CHAIR: No? It is the member for Hartley again. Do you have an opening statement, member for Hartley?

Mr TARZIA: No, I do not, Chair.

The CHAIR: Do you have any questions?

Mr TARZIA: We can go into questions. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, Sub-program 1.7: Volunteer Services, page 114. Most of the references will be to the above, unless I state otherwise. With regard to the rewards program for volunteers, you made mention of the WeDo app. Have you downloaded the app?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, I have it on my phone.

Mr TARZIA: Excellent. What has happened to the other elements of the volunteer recognition scheme? For example, I understand there were going to be promotional offers, at one stage.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is about to be released. I will just get those details. The first part was being able to record the number of hours that you did as a volunteer—that was our first step—and also getting organisations to register on to the app. For example, we want Zoos SA and Red Cross to register or put themselves on there, so that if you volunteer they can have that material. My understanding is that the next step will have what we call the reward and recognition aspect—it might be movie tickets and things like that—based on some of the stuff that we have seen internationally.

The other section that I am really interested in is the ability to have the hours, the responsibility and the skills that you have received from volunteering verified by your organisation and to be able to print out that record of volunteering and use it when you are applying for jobs. That will be the third stage that we are doing. We have put considerable resources into this. We think this is an important way to go. That is happening now. I will see if we have a time line: it is coming. Trust me, I am focusing on it with great interest.

Mr TARZIA: When do you think those programs will be rolled out?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I expect by the end of this year—at least the next stage, which is about the rewards and things. There will probably be a trial period to make sure it works as we think it should. Also, of course, we will have to go through a process of having people sign up to receive those rewards. Obviously, I encourage all members of parliament who want to support our volunteers and local businesses that might want to offer some discounts or things like that, to approach Volunteering SA&NT, who are working up the project.

Mr TARZIA: Does the app need ongoing funding to support it, and if so, what funding has the government allocated for this purpose beyond 2017-18?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: At this stage, this is the final year of funding in 2017-18.

Mr TARZIA: Did you say the final year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes. It was $300,000 for three years: 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. I guess, as we come towards the end, we will have some discussions about ongoing costs to continue to run it. Obviously, the significant costs are in the build and the establishment of that program.

Mr TARZIA: It will require additional funds past this financial year for maintenance and other teething issues, I am sure.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I expect we will work with Volunteering SA&NT—they are our peak body and we give them significant funding—to work out whether that becomes part of their established KPIs and see where that would be, going ahead.

Mr TARZIA: How much has been spent on the development and implementation of the app thus far?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is $300,000 per year for three years.

Mr TARZIA: That is completely dedicated to the development and implementation of the app; is that correct?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: And the running of the app, obviously.

Mr TARZIA: How many people have actually downloaded the app?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As I said, over 200 a month—2,212.

Mr TARZIA: How many have registered from using the app?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: There are 1,108, and 829 volunteering organisations are registered.

Mr TARZIA: How many have logged data onto the app?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not think I have that detail here for you today. We will have to come back to you about that level of detail.

Mr TARZIA: How many volunteer hours have been logged?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have that detail here. Just to recap, as at 30 June this year, there were 2,212 downloads, which is more than 200 per month; expressions of interest registered by potential volunteers, 1,108; volunteering opportunities registered by organisations, 829; and the number of organisations trained to self-load volunteer roles is 138, so they can do it themselves. I expect that the running costs for this going forward should not be substantial. The whole point is that we have created the app and that can then be utilised by organisations and volunteers.

Mr TARZIA: In Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, Sub-program 1.7: Volunteer Services, on page 114 there is a reference to grant programs. Which grant programs does this apply to?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: There is $924,000 in grant funding to the volunteer sector in 2016-17. The funding for the Volunteer Recognition Scheme—which we have just been talking about—is $300,000; Volunteering SA&NT, $298,679; Grants SA, $250,000 worth of one-off grants. I am happy to detail those grants.

Mr TARZIA: Could you, please?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Okay. The Alford CFS, chainsaw and associated equipment, $1,527; Animal Welfare League of South Australia, first aid training for thrift shop volunteers, $1,307; Australia Day Council of South Australia, parade marshal training, $1,450; Backpacks 4 SA Kids Inc., provision of computer and printer for the warehouse, $1,232; Camp Quality Limited, volunteer training, $4,800; Careworks Cottage, clean and work-safe, $817; Country Fire Service Foundation Inc., volunteer equipment, $2050; East Torrens Operational Support Brigade, purchase of defibrillator for the Adelaide Hills CFS, $2,470; and Eastwood Community Centre, Little Library, $1,932.

There is Grandparents for Grandchildren SA Inc., office chairs, $3,850; Heysen CFS Group, Brukunga Brigade, life saving equipment, $4,000; Holiday Explorers Inc., My Skills + My Social Life, $560; Mannum Baptist Church, Mother Goose Stories, Songs and Rhyme, community engagement playgroup, $5,000; Moonta and District Progress Association, equipment for volunteers, $968; Mt Lofty CFS Group, lifelike realistic training manikin, $2,500; Norton Summit-Ashton CFS Brigade, first aid course for CFS volunteers, $1,425; Pashtun Association of SA, equipment needs, $1,200; and Royal Flying Doctor Auxiliary Port Lincoln, purchase of equipment to broaden fundraising activities, $3,685.

Then, Royal Society for the Blind, South Australia Inc., ID card creator for volunteers, $2,565; RSL Largs Bay Sub-Branch, bringing club administration into the 21^st century, $3,050; SecondBite, improve workplace health and safety for volunteers and community agency personnel, $1,036; Soroptimist International Murray Bridge, wig library, $2,000; South Australia Telangana Association, purchase of basic assets for SA Telangana community, $2,277; South Australian Country Fire Service, medical equipment, $1,304; South Australian Sea Rescue Squadron Inc., life jackets, $2,330.

Also, St Francis Community Children's Centre, management committee training, $826; Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Association of SA Inc. (trading as SIDS and Kids SA), Greening up SIDS and Kids SA, $1,441; Tea Tree Gully Country Fire Service, a mini cutter, $4,723; Terowie Citizens' Association Inc., split system air conditioner, $3,005; Whyalla Unit SES, Safer Community, $1,980; Yorke Peninsula Community Transport Inc. (advocated by their local member), manual handling training for community transport volunteers, $3,300.

The following have also received medium grants: Balaklava Town Hall Management Committee Inc., replacement of stage curtains, $7,000; Bute Country Fire Service Brigade, FLIR (forward looking infrared camera) project, $8,114; Community House Port Lincoln Inc., volunteer training, $13,761; Connecting Foster Carers SA Inc., peer support network, $2,955; Greening Australia SA Ltd, native plant nursery for volunteers, $14,875; Lochiel Progress Association, Kick in for Pinery Tank, building resilience and natural disaster preparedness, $18,920; Northern Volunteering SA Inc., computing, $11,100; Scouts Association of Australia (SA Branch), installation of safety equipment, $290; Willunga and District Returned Services League, refreshment reno, $10,485.

Major grants have been allocated to City of West Torrens council, volunteer training program, $27,040; Clubhouse SA Inc. 'R.E.V. UP' purchasing a Hyundai iMax, $34,000; Hamley Bridge Community Association, painting/improvement, $21,050; Milang and District Community Association Inc., upskilling volunteers, $6,355; Wandearah Memorial Institute, replacement aged chairs and tables in line with work, health and safety responsibilities, $11,555.

What you might note is, the vast majority of our volunteer training grants go to regional areas. They are very active at applying for grants and, therefore, they have done extremely well. There is also money towards Northern Volunteering totalling $37,631, and the same to Southern Volunteering as well. That takes us to $923,941.

Mr TARZIA: Getting back to the Volunteering Strategy, Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, Sub-program 1.7: Volunteer Services, page 114, I note that a target for 2017-18 is to 'Continue to develop and implement actions around the priorities of the volunteering strategy for South Australia 2014-20'. What have been the actions of that strategy so far?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I covered a lot of that in my opening remarks, but I am happy to repeat that. I note the Volunteering Strategy has four partners, including Volunteering SA&NT, Business SA, Local Government Association and SA government through the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. It is to develop a coordinated approach and it involves the experienced outcomes of organisations involving volunteers and participation in line with our strategic plan. The Volunteering Strategy Partnership Board oversees the implementation of the strategy. There have been four project teams that are part of that. We have 55 volunteer members responsible for the strategic outcomes in the strategy. The focus areas are:

Team 1: invest in the foundations of volunteering;

Team 2: promote and inform on the benefits of volunteering;

Team 3: implement leading practice and high quality standards; and

Team 4: working together to achieve change.

The key outcomes of the strategy include:

integrating volunteer management into human resources qualifications;

development and launch of the WeDo app, managed by Volunteering SA&NT;

to increase the participation of young people volunteering and create pathways to employment;

initiating social media campaigns to increase volunteering awareness and participation;

contributing to the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment volunteer guidelines;

developing resources to help access the need for working with children checks and understanding work health and safety laws related to volunteer activity; and

managing a grant from the Local Government Association to research mutual obligation requirements between volunteers and local government.

This year, we will be conducting the mid-term review of the volunteering strategy and will ensure an ongoing leading practice governance model is in place to determine the priorities for the second term of the strategy.

I thank the people who have been involved. We have actually asked for considerable time from people, not only the people on the board who have taken the chair roles. The board members are Rosina Hislop, the Independent Chair, who has just recently stepped down from the role; Sarah Scammell, Business SA representative; Evelyn O'Loughlin, Volunteering SA&NT; Justine Kennedy, state government representative; and Lisa Teburea, Local Government Association.

The chairs of the project teams are Janet Stone, Management Consultant and Lecturer at Adelaide University; Nick Begakis, AO, Professional Company Director; Erma Ranieri, Commissioner for the Public Sector; and Tim Jackson, Chair of Volunteering SA&NT. As I said earlier, this is a world-leading partnership and we are very proud of the work that has been done.

Mr TARZIA: Obviously, Volunteering SA is very positive about the strategy and they say that it is a very unique partnership of the partners, including Business SA with corporate volunteering. It is also nonpartisan and you mentioned it has some working groups as well. What further outcomes do you think the minister will anticipate will arise from the strategy in the future?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not think we recognise volunteers enough. In fact, within government we have high levels of volunteering and we have been working very closely with the Office for the Public Sector and the Commissioner for the Public Sector about that. I would like to ask Sue to detail some thoughts she might have about what we will do in the next stage.

Ms WALLACE: The strategy and the governance structure is in the process of a review of the current working groups, as well as the actions under each of those working groups. There has been some informal discussion with the partnership board about the focus for the next 12 months to two years and an interest in really strengthening opportunities by combining the resources from business, local government, state government and Volunteering SA.

One of the ideas that has been discussed is to look at a community like Whyalla that has hit hard times. What can the combined resources of the partnership board and the organisations that they represent put in place to provide additional support for communities that are experiencing particularly hard times?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: To add to that, there are two things that I see happening at the moment. I see that awareness of the role of volunteering is increasing and the value of volunteers is being recognised. It is really being seen as part of the life journey. You spend your younger years growing up and going to school, you spend your middle years raising a family and working hard, but then there is that third stage of life. We really want to encourage people to do active volunteering throughout all stages of their life but particularly at the end.

I think one of the things is an expectation of a richer volunteer opportunity. Perhaps I could say that there are a few of our colleagues within the parliament who might be taking their leave who have exceptional skills. Of course, they might be seeking work in the paid environment, but they would be very well regarded in any volunteer capacity as well. People have higher expectations of what they would like to do as a volunteer. I think we have some work to do in regard to professional volunteer management, understanding how to manage volunteers and how to work with volunteers in what they do.

The second area is a more challenging environment because of moves by the federal commonwealth government to increase people's volunteering to be counted towards receiving their Centrelink payments. Sometimes that changes the culture of the volunteer group as people are not there just because they want to volunteer, they are there because they have to volunteer in order to get their Centrelink payments. I am being open and honest that that is often a different group of people who have different motivations for why they are there.

When I talk to people in the volunteering sector, while they welcome all volunteers, they come with some added areas of management. We have lots of work to do within the strategy. I personally think that having more interesting volunteer roles is something that people, one might say the baby boomers, would expect to have. There is still a bit of a culture that all volunteering positions are entry level and are physical positions, getting in there and doing something, but often it is their business skills or their governance skills that will be most needed in the future.

Mr TARZIA: Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, Sub-program 1.7: Volunteer Services, page 114. The state opposition would argue that we successfully lobbied the commonwealth to retain its support for VMP, the Volunteer Management Program. Does the minister support the VMP approach or did she support the proposal that this become a grants program focused on disadvantage?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I was presented with that and some advocacy was requested of me. I think I had some conversations with the federal opposition; I would have to recall that. I have been a very big supporter of supporting volunteer management professionals. One of the challenges we have is an expectation that certain industrial relations rules and work health and safety are maintained whether you are in paid or unpaid employment. I think that one of the challenges, when managing people at all levels, is resolving disputes and having an area of mediation facilitation, being able to roster, working out how people work together and do not work together. I am pleased that that decision has been made. It had been raised with me.

Mr GRIFFITHS: Minister, I was very interested in your response about the efforts to be made in the future about encouraging more people to volunteer. I am a believer that we all have a responsibility to contribute more to society, so I completely support you on that. Is there more of a challenge in any particular age profile to make people understand that that opportunity will exist for them, or is it part of the natural progression, that we go through various stages of our lives and then have the end realisation that we can use our skills and knowledge to do things? How do we ensure that younger generations have it at an earlier age? I would love the 15 year olds to actually be volunteering and doing that as part of their life cycle.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think we already have a very proud record of people of all ages volunteering. In fact, often some of our newer people to Australia, or people who have finished their studies or are doing their studies, see volunteering as a great pathway to employment. So, that is what they are interested in doing. I think that we continue to support people across the board.

The one thing I notice, though, is younger people like to be project oriented. Rather than committing to every Monday that they will come and do X, they would like to perhaps offer their services for the day and do a project. Part of that is having the flexibility of volunteer opportunities. Sometimes it is organisations changing their expectation of what a volunteer is. There is a lot of growth in that area.

The thing about it is that it is part of citizenship. The other thing is we do not always recognise when we volunteer. I grew up in the country. There are a lot of people who participate and support sports. Whether they are washing the jumpers, cutting the oranges, running around or doing the goals, they do not perceive themselves as a volunteer, yet technically they are. I think there is a lot of movement for us in recognising the many ways that you volunteer. It is not always formal; it is often informal. It is how you do that and just respecting that role.

There is a bit of challenge, I think, with young people who are interested in volunteering because it is something that they care about or are interested in. It could be an environmental clean-up or teaching English to someone. It is actually about finding what motivates each individual person and providing the opportunity to link them to that.

Mr GRIFFITHS: I am a believer that the future is in good hands. Young people will stand up, too.

The CHAIR: I want to thank you, minister, for coming in today. I want to thank all of your hardworking staff for working so hard towards today. Minister, do you have some closing remarks?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I have had the great opportunity to do estimates every year. This is the fourth year in my capacity as Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion. I just really want to thank my department. Each of them spend a great deal of time preparing for estimates. Can I particularly point out Nancy Rogers, who I would not mind having in question time; she would be great to have there. She is the Director, Office of the Chief Executive.

I have a very interesting portfolio. There are lots of different areas within the portfolio and that requires quite a bit of consolidation and collaboration. Can I thank my chief executive. Can I thank Angela Chooi. Unfortunately, Andrew Thompson, who is our finance guru, has been unwell, so she has stepped in. To all of the executive directors and directors, thank you.

The CHAIR: There being no further questions, I declare the examination of the proposed payments adjourned until tomorrow.

At 14:33 the committee adjourned to Friday 28 July 2017 at 09:00.