Grants SA

Ms COOK (Fisher) (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Volunteers. Minister, how will the government's recent changes to grant applications assist community organisations?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—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) (14:45): I thank the member for her question and note her great advocacy for local community groups in her electorate. I am pleased to advise the house with additional information regarding Grants SA. I launched it last week, and it brings together a number of one-off grant programs and targets four priority areas, which are disadvantaged individuals and communities, culturally and linguistically diverse groups and communities, young people experiencing disadvantage, and volunteers.

Over the past couple of years in my role as Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, many of our community and multicultural groups have raised concerns with me with regard to where to apply for grants, what kind of grants are available and, to support the project, when the next round of grants will be opening. The complexity of finding as well as applying for grants is also a common concern raised with many members of this house. That is why I am pleased that, from the beginning of this month, the application process for community one-off grants will be improved by having a one-stop shop and a single application process through Grants SA.

A total of $3 million in one-off grants will be distributed to not-for-profit community organisations annually through Grants SA. This funding includes money pooled together from the Charitable and Social Welfare Fund, Multicultural SA, Celebrating Diversity one-off grants, volunteer training grants and the Volunteer Support Fund. The application process is now much more simple for community and multicultural groups as they will not need to seek out when a round is open or which area of the department they need to go to, as they have all been rolled into one simple application process from a single portal: Grants SA.

Minor grants of up to $5,000 will be open all year round and assessed at the end of each month, with rounds for larger grants happening less frequently. Grants SA assessment panels have been established, comprising representatives from the department, members from the Charitable and Social Welfare Fund Assessor Panel, and the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission. I encourage all members of this house to communicate with their local communities about these improvements.

In recent visits to our regional areas, I have been approached by several groups. What I can now say is that every month you can apply for the minor round, which is up to $5,000. When I was in Murray Bridge talking to the Filipino community, they talked to me about some of the social isolation that their community members experience. They would like to have a grant to enable that community to come together. They will be able to apply for that minor round.

When I was in Port Lincoln last week, it was great to see the member for Flinders, and I experienced the fantastic social enterprise by the youth there, called Youthoria. They run the cinema, and with the money they collect from tickets and popcorn sales they fund their own social enterprise there. They employ people and give young people the opportunity for work experience. What they talked to me about are some other ideas they've got, and these rounds will enable them to apply, whether it be a minor, medium or major round, to establish that social enterprise. Of course, we all know that on Sunday—the very cold, wet day it was—I was in Nuriootpa, and it means that people like—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Nuriootpa.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I'm sorry—elocution next time! I also visited Lyndoch and Angaston; but the Barossa Bushgardens can apply for this round because they are doing a great job encouraging volunteers to plant native plants that we give back to the Pinery fire-affected victims.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader.