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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-30 Daily Xml
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Fund My Neighbourhood

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (15:28): I was hoping today to share with the chamber some stories from many South Australians about the success of the program that brought communities together. But instead of sharing stories about the success of the $40 million Fund My Neighbourhood program—one of the world's largest community-based grants, which was implemented right here in South Australia by the Labor government—I will instead share my disappointment about what, in the words of the Treasurer, the Premier and the Treasurer have, arm in arm, cut from the community.

As committed in the budget by the Labor government, round 2 of this tremendously popular program was scheduled to commence before the end of this financial year, fully funded. The previous state Labor government created Fund My Neighbourhood, which gave South Australians the power to improve their local communities through pitching and voting for their favourite ideas, because no-one knows what locals need or want in their community quite like a local.

Fund My Neighbourhood was not just about receiving additional funds for local projects. Importantly, it brought neighbours and communities together so they could decide what was best for their neighbourhood. The Premier's and Treasurer's decision to scrap Fund My Neighbourhood will take $20 million from community groups and individuals who are working hard to make a difference in their local neighbourhood. In the first round of Fund My Neighbourhood, over 122,000 votes were cast by South Australians, resulting in more than 200 neighbourhood projects being funded, projects that would not otherwise have been funded. A total of 33,000 South Australians took the time, and took their own private time, to vote for their favourite projects.

Impressively, more than $4.3 million was given to regional communities. Fund My Neighbourhood offered the state's regional residents a chance to harness their envied community spirit and allowed locals to campaign to get their ideas funded. What was the best part? The best part was that people were the decision-makers. It was your next-door neighbour, your friends and your family who were pitching ideas and voting on the best projects for their neighbourhoods.

By cutting Fund My Neighbourhood, what message is this government sending to the community? Does the government not trust communities to decide how and where funds should be allocated in their neighbourhoods? Round 2 has been scrapped. What will happen to the $20 million that was allocated for this community program? A resident who shares my concern about the future of Fund My Neighbourhood is a farmer from Tumby Bay, Dion Lesbrun. I am disappointed that I am going to have to leave this chamber to advise him that this program has been cut.

I would like to take this moment to congratulate the town of Tumby Bay, which displayed an extraordinary case of community spirit by receiving funding for not one, not two, but three projects: the Tumby Bay silo mural, the Tumby Bay Pioneer Tower and the Port Neill community hall. The residents in Tumby Bay did this with a population of just over 2,000 people. In fact, the Tumby Bay art project received the fourth highest number of votes in the state—far from a slush fund.

The successful silo project has already brought an unprecedented economic boost to the Tumby Bay community. I quote Dion from Tumby Bay, 'Visitor numbers are going gangbusters.' Dion struggled the other day to find a car park in the main street because the caravans had taken over. They had stopped to take a photo in front of the new silos that have been painted, and brought that funding and money back into the community.

Dion and his community were already planning a number of projects for round 2, and I do not look forward to calling him to tell him that it will not be happening. I saw firsthand the gratitude in the community for this unique program. Applicants appreciated the opportunity to put ideas forward, from playgrounds to repair cafes, ideas the Labor government helped turn into reality. I am very disappointed that this great program has been removed from the community, removing the opportunity for the community to have their say.

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