Volunteering Strategy

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (16:51): My question is to the Minister for Human Services about the SA volunteering strategy. Can the minister please update the council on the Marshall Liberal government's commitment to continue to support South Australia's volunteers through partnering in the development of a new volunteering strategy for South Australia?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (16:52): I thank the honourable member for her question and for her interest in this area, knowing, as I do, that she is a keen volunteer in her local community in the Riverland.

The first volunteering strategy for South Australia is due to expire this year, and I was very pleased recently, together with other strategy partners, including Business SA, Volunteering SA & NT and the Local Government Association of South Australia, to sign the next volunteer strategy, which will take us up into the next period.

I should congratulate the former government for their original volunteering strategy, from 2014 to 2020, which has seen those strong relationships ensure that we are, as a combined group, doing everything we can to support volunteers in their important roles and ensuring that every opportunity is being provided. I understand, from my discussions with Janet Stone, who is the independent chair of the volunteering strategy for South Australia partnership board, that this is a global first: having a strategy between these groups.

In terms of volunteering, we know there is some 125,000 across government. There is a public sector volunteer network, which assists with portfolios and the non-government sector; some 5,000 businesses across 17 sectors—that is the membership of Business SA, I should say, which equates to some 92,500 employees, of which Business SA estimate 50,000 are volunteers. The Local Government Association has some 11,000 volunteers and has had a good track record of retention and attraction.

The original volunteering strategy helped to bed down some of the framework issues, if you like, so the next phase is very much looking towards how we continue to develop those pathways. There are more people who are willing to volunteer than there are organisations to take them, in some instances. They are also very keen to ensure that young people are accessing volunteering opportunities, which is a benefit for them in a range of areas for their health and wellbeing but also clearly has links to assist them to gain employment.

During these times of COVID, the volunteer workforce has experienced some challenges. I understand that about two-thirds of South Australia's volunteers are back doing what they were doing. But the strategy going forward for 2021-27 is to ensure that our priorities are remaining relevant so that we can continue to support the many South Australians who are engaged in volunteering who also have obtained free screening checks from the South Australian government.