❓ Ms. Winton asks about the impact of the $6.8 million funding for financial counselling services in the WA Recovery Plan. The Minister outlines how the funding will expand services, create traineeships, and support regional areas and small businesses.
AnsweredQoN 652Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — WA
RECOVERY PLAN — FINANCIAL COUNSELLING SERVICES
652. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to the McGowan government's
$5.5 billion WA Recovery Plan, which includes significant funding for Western Australians
facing financial hardship.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house what the additional $6.8 million in funding for
financial counselling services will mean to those households and businesses
that are doing it tough?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this funding will ensure that WA has more
financial counsellors ready to assist those facing hardship?
RECOVERY PLAN — FINANCIAL COUNSELLING SERVICES
652. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to the McGowan government's
$5.5 billion WA Recovery Plan, which includes significant funding for Western Australians
facing financial hardship.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house what the additional $6.8 million in funding for
financial counselling services will mean to those households and businesses
that are doing it tough?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this funding will ensure that WA has more
financial counsellors ready to assist those facing hardship?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Again,
I am really proud to speak to the house about some of the initiatives that we
have taken, not only during our whole time in government, but particularly
around recovery, in this case financial counselling. I think it is pretty
obvious to most of the community that additional financial counselling
resources will be needed here, as they will
in many places around the world. We have been proactive working with existing services, as well as looking at how we can make sure that those additional
resources are distributed throughout the state so that they can go where they
are most needed.
As the member said, $6.8 million will
go to further expanding our already solid investment in financial counselling
and $3.7 million will go to expanding existing financial counselling services.
That is using the networks and the staff
that are already there and boosting them. That will result in an additional 40
FTE for the sector.
Mr J.E. McGrath interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for South
Perth!
Ms
S.F. McGURK : Importantly, and I was
interested to hear early in the pandemic the option to do this, this package also includes funding for financial counsellors with specific expertise in
small business debt. This idea came from the eastern seaboard after the
bushfires, when it was recognised that a lot of organisations and small
businesses had been adversely affected and needed some specialist attention to
manage their financial situation, not in regard to business planning and the
like but simply working their way through debt and creditors and the like.
There will be some specific allocations there. There is $1.5 million for new
traineeships and diploma scholarships to grow the workforce, and $180 000 to
improve the skills of existing counsellors. Finally, there is $1.5 million to
deliver financial counselling services in regional areas for a further two
years.
[Interruption.]
Ms
S.F. McGURK : Our record on
financial counselling is solid and the recovery package of $6.8 million
demonstrates that.
The SPEAKER : Is someone going
to admit to having their phone on? I have narrowed it down to a very small
area. I am looking at that person.
I am really proud to speak to the house about some of the initiatives that we
have taken, not only during our whole time in government, but particularly
around recovery, in this case financial counselling. I think it is pretty
obvious to most of the community that additional financial counselling
resources will be needed here, as they will
in many places around the world. We have been proactive working with existing services, as well as looking at how we can make sure that those additional
resources are distributed throughout the state so that they can go where they
are most needed.
As the member said, $6.8 million will
go to further expanding our already solid investment in financial counselling
and $3.7 million will go to expanding existing financial counselling services.
That is using the networks and the staff
that are already there and boosting them. That will result in an additional 40
FTE for the sector.
Mr J.E. McGrath interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for South
Perth!
Ms
S.F. McGURK : Importantly, and I was
interested to hear early in the pandemic the option to do this, this package also includes funding for financial counsellors with specific expertise in
small business debt. This idea came from the eastern seaboard after the
bushfires, when it was recognised that a lot of organisations and small
businesses had been adversely affected and needed some specialist attention to
manage their financial situation, not in regard to business planning and the
like but simply working their way through debt and creditors and the like.
There will be some specific allocations there. There is $1.5 million for new
traineeships and diploma scholarships to grow the workforce, and $180 000 to
improve the skills of existing counsellors. Finally, there is $1.5 million to
deliver financial counselling services in regional areas for a further two
years.
[Interruption.]
Ms
S.F. McGURK : Our record on
financial counselling is solid and the recovery package of $6.8 million
demonstrates that.
The SPEAKER : Is someone going
to admit to having their phone on? I have narrowed it down to a very small
area. I am looking at that person.
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