COMMUNITY VOICES PROGRAM

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (15:18): I recently had the honour of representing the Minister for Volunteers in launching the Community Voices program's next round of funding. This program is a source of support funding keenly sought by community organisations. It is also a program which sparks a lot of excitement and creativity among scores of budding screenwriters and filmmakers within the state.

Five years ago, the Office for Volunteers came up with the idea to team up volunteer-based community groups with screen and media students to produce documentaries and TV community service announcements. The results of this collaboration are advertisements which promote the work of these groups and their need for volunteers.

Each year, the Office for Volunteers makes available $50,000 to be shared among five or six successful applicants. Projects are assigned to the production partner, namely the Department of Screen and Media at Flinders University. We have seen some of the results on TV. Participants report excellent outcomes; in particular, Lifeline, which credits the program with a 300 per cent increase in the number of volunteering inquiries received since its community service announcements first aired on television.

In my electorate of Mitchell, we have the office of the Sammy D Foundation, established in memory of teenager Sam Davis, who died as a result of a one-punch assault. This group of enthusiastic volunteers raises awareness of harm-causing behaviour, provides support and promotes a healthy approach to life.

Nat Cook from the Sammy D Foundation, the successful applicant in the 2009-10 round, told me this week how a few thousand dollars has been a great kickstart to encouraging support for her foundation. Nat said that the 16 or so airings of the foundation's community service piece from late 2010 were enough to boost networking and support, and, above all, awareness levels of the foundation improved substantially. Since then there have been other television spots, partly supported by the foundation, and the short film piece has been added to and adapted for showing to service clubs, schools and community groups. So as I said, from small things big things can certainly grow.

One of the reasons Nat Cook gives for the success of the foundation's Flinders University production is the technical quality, making it visually appealing. Another is the wonderful content. She informed me of the efforts students made to understand what the organisation was all about, applying knowledge and sensitivity. It is this relationship between student and client which people such as Tom Young and Cole Larsen at Flinders University value most. They see their role as educators being more than ensuring students know the technical stuff and are creative; they have to understand and interpret the subject. Cole Larsen says:

The Community Voices Program aims to provide an environment where students are required to interpret the needs of the community group and ensure these needs are met in terms of program content, design and audience reach. Client needs rather than student aspirations drive the projects. At the same time students have the responsibility (and reward) of knowing their work may be seen by hundreds of thousands of people when shown on television or at a major sporting event, where a club supports a particular community body that relies on volunteers.

In this way, a small amount of funding grows into promotional and volunteer support, while providing marvellous opportunities for exposure of meaningful productions by students.

In the most recent round, recipients of funding were Hands On SA, MOSH Australia, the Mannum Dock Museum of River History, the Muscular Dystrophy Association of South Australia, and the Prison Fellowship of Australia. The range of recipients since the program's inception includes the Arthritis Foundation, the Tutti Ensemble, Teen Challenge, Fauna Rescue, the Hackham West Community Centre, the Royal Society for the Blind, and the RSPCA.

Applications for the next round open in October, and I am confident the program will continue to serve our community well. It is a public investment with an outstanding benefit to cost ratio.

The SPEAKER: Member for Schubert, you will notice I have forgone my cup of coffee and scone because I understand you have an important grievance you wish to make.