❓ Question addresses the impact of COVID-19 on community services and seeks an update on how the WA government is supporting these organisations through the Lotterywest COVID-19 relief fund. The Minister details fund allocation and examples of supported initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 465Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
LOTTERYWEST CRISIS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT FUND
465. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Community
Services:
I refer to the impact that COVID-19
has had on the community services sector and the increase in demand for
services and support. Can the minister update the house on how the McGowan
Labor government is supporting Western Australia's community service
organisations to meet this demand through the Lotterywest COVID-19 relief fund?
LOTTERYWEST CRISIS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT FUND
465. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Community
Services:
I refer to the impact that COVID-19
has had on the community services sector and the increase in demand for
services and support. Can the minister update the house on how the McGowan
Labor government is supporting Western Australia's community service
organisations to meet this demand through the Lotterywest COVID-19 relief fund?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question
and for the opportunity to talk about some of those issues. We all know that
COVID-19 and the resulting closedown of our community in various forms has had
a huge impact on everyone, not the least of whom are some very vulnerable
members of our community who were at immediate risk during the pandemic threat,
which we have heard about again today and which everyone is well aware of. We
knew that some of those people would require
extra assistance. That was why the Premier, in particular, committed to
supporting all members of the community and put in place the $159 million
COVID-19 relief fund and made sure that Lotterywest would be in a position to
meet the needs of those in the community who would need extra assistance and
attention.
Of the $159 million COVID-19 relief
fund, $59 million was made available initially for crisis and emergency relief
support and support for not-for-profit organisations that have had to cancel
events. The pandemic has had a huge impact on many of those organisations that,
as members would be aware, do not have a lot of fat in their budgets to deal
with cancelled events and the like. The fund was also for grants for
not-for-profit organisations in the arts, sports and community sectors to
maintain their viability and to build resilience for future recovery. That initial
$59 million has been split up throughout those three sectors of effort.
As an example, I was particularly pleased to deliver, on
behalf of the Premier, the Lotterywest cheque to support the financial toolbox, which is an online resource
that was championed by former Western Australian Chief Scientist Lyn
Beazley. A range of accountants worked with a number of women's refuges
to make a free service available to women
who needed financial knowledge and skills and were experiencing domestic
violence and domestic abuse . We know that eight out of 10 women who seek
support for family and domestic violence have also been victims of financial or
economic abuse. A lack of economic security and financial resources is often a reason
that women go back to abusive relationships. That free resource was put
together with the assistance of Lotterywest and some of those advocates I spoke
about. It is a good example of the more sophisticated approach that we are
seeing by volunteers with particular
professional expertise. The state government is able to partner with those
groups to provide better outcomes. Over $5.5 million of grants have
already been approved to organisations that respond to people who are
experiencing hardship, crisis or financial uncertainty, including for those who
have experienced family and domestic violence.
Another example is the food relief
framework, in which the government has partnered with organisations that know that food relief is needed. There is food
insecurity in various parts of our state. There are also retailers that are prepared to donate some of their excess and that has helped facilitate the
framework. The COVID crisis has pulled together food relief organisations that
members will be aware of, such as Foodbank, SecondBite, and OzHarvest;
retailers such as Coles, Woolworths and Metcash; transport companies; and local
governments to make sure that we can match supply and demand.
There
are many good reasons that people in Western Australia are grateful to have a government
led by the Premier , Hon Mark McGowan, and the Minister for Health, who
are advised by the Chief Health Officer. We have been guided by science and have had a disciplined approach. We have made sure
that we were in a good budgetary position to provide an immediate response
and can now gear up and make sure that there are jobs available where we need
them. In particular, I think people should be grateful that those sitting on
the other side of this chamber are not in government
at the moment. We have heard today how absolutely appalling that would have
been for many vulnerable members of
society, whether it is older members of our community we have heard about or
others who are vulnerable whom I see in my portfolio. We would have had
the borders open and we would have had health advice being second-guessed—doctor
shopping, if you like—to hear the advice that suited their ends at the
time. There would also be second-guessing of the position they should take,
when what the community wants is certainty and surety that they are going to be
led well, and that is what we have with the McGowan Labor government during
this year.
and for the opportunity to talk about some of those issues. We all know that
COVID-19 and the resulting closedown of our community in various forms has had
a huge impact on everyone, not the least of whom are some very vulnerable
members of our community who were at immediate risk during the pandemic threat,
which we have heard about again today and which everyone is well aware of. We
knew that some of those people would require
extra assistance. That was why the Premier, in particular, committed to
supporting all members of the community and put in place the $159 million
COVID-19 relief fund and made sure that Lotterywest would be in a position to
meet the needs of those in the community who would need extra assistance and
attention.
Of the $159 million COVID-19 relief
fund, $59 million was made available initially for crisis and emergency relief
support and support for not-for-profit organisations that have had to cancel
events. The pandemic has had a huge impact on many of those organisations that,
as members would be aware, do not have a lot of fat in their budgets to deal
with cancelled events and the like. The fund was also for grants for
not-for-profit organisations in the arts, sports and community sectors to
maintain their viability and to build resilience for future recovery. That initial
$59 million has been split up throughout those three sectors of effort.
As an example, I was particularly pleased to deliver, on
behalf of the Premier, the Lotterywest cheque to support the financial toolbox, which is an online resource
that was championed by former Western Australian Chief Scientist Lyn
Beazley. A range of accountants worked with a number of women's refuges
to make a free service available to women
who needed financial knowledge and skills and were experiencing domestic
violence and domestic abuse . We know that eight out of 10 women who seek
support for family and domestic violence have also been victims of financial or
economic abuse. A lack of economic security and financial resources is often a reason
that women go back to abusive relationships. That free resource was put
together with the assistance of Lotterywest and some of those advocates I spoke
about. It is a good example of the more sophisticated approach that we are
seeing by volunteers with particular
professional expertise. The state government is able to partner with those
groups to provide better outcomes. Over $5.5 million of grants have
already been approved to organisations that respond to people who are
experiencing hardship, crisis or financial uncertainty, including for those who
have experienced family and domestic violence.
Another example is the food relief
framework, in which the government has partnered with organisations that know that food relief is needed. There is food
insecurity in various parts of our state. There are also retailers that are prepared to donate some of their excess and that has helped facilitate the
framework. The COVID crisis has pulled together food relief organisations that
members will be aware of, such as Foodbank, SecondBite, and OzHarvest;
retailers such as Coles, Woolworths and Metcash; transport companies; and local
governments to make sure that we can match supply and demand.
There
are many good reasons that people in Western Australia are grateful to have a government
led by the Premier , Hon Mark McGowan, and the Minister for Health, who
are advised by the Chief Health Officer. We have been guided by science and have had a disciplined approach. We have made sure
that we were in a good budgetary position to provide an immediate response
and can now gear up and make sure that there are jobs available where we need
them. In particular, I think people should be grateful that those sitting on
the other side of this chamber are not in government
at the moment. We have heard today how absolutely appalling that would have
been for many vulnerable members of
society, whether it is older members of our community we have heard about or
others who are vulnerable whom I see in my portfolio. We would have had
the borders open and we would have had health advice being second-guessed—doctor
shopping, if you like—to hear the advice that suited their ends at the
time. There would also be second-guessing of the position they should take,
when what the community wants is certainty and surety that they are going to be
led well, and that is what we have with the McGowan Labor government during
this year.
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