VOLUNTEERS

In reply to Mr PISONI (Unley) (23 October 2006) (Estimates Committee A).

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Volunteers, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister Assisting in Early Childhood Development): The results of a recent survey conducted for Government by Harrison Market Research Pty Ltd to standard statistical methods and Australian Bureau of Statistics definitions indicate that the volunteer participation rate for formal volunteers in South Australia has increased from 38 per cent in 2000 to 51 per cent in 2006.

The results show that the amount of time volunteers devote to volunteering has increased from 1.5 hours per week in 1995 and 2000 to 2.31 in 2006. This represents 610,000 South Australians providing an estimated 1.4 million volunteer hours per week.

While the entire focus of the OFV is the promotion of volunteering, in the 2005-06 budget a total of $484,000 was used to support the volunteer sector through:

the Volunteer Support Fund ($150,000) a grants program for community groups with volunteers;

hosting the Volunteers Day celebration and the State Volunteer Congress;

providing essential operating funds to Volunteering SA and 2 metropolitan Volunteer Resource Centres;

the provision of free training to volunteers and scholarships for volunteer management qualifications;

initiating volunteer recognition awards such as the Joy Noble Medal for outstanding volunteer service in South Australian Government volunteer programs and the Premier's Business Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Support;

connecting community groups to students who build websites to promote their services through the Community Webs program; and

mounting an annual television advertising and print media promotions campaign in the lead up to and during National Volunteer Week in May.

A similar amount is being spent in the 2006-07 financial year to continue the progress made in promoting and marketing volunteering and to ensure that we continue to provide effective support to the volunteer sector in South Australia.