Interview with the new Minister for Volunteering, the Hon. Peter Primrose MLC

The Centre for Volunteering's Kristin Romanis speaks with the Hon. Peter Primrose MLC, Minister for Volunteering, Minister for Youth, Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Premier on Veterans' Affairs

What measures are you considering to assist the not-for-profit sector to increase volunteering rates?

I am always inspired by the invaluable contribution that our volunteers make to the social fabric of our State, representing the backbone of many sporting, cultural, artistic, environmental and community organisations.

The Government has committed to a State Plan target of increasing the proportion of the total community involved in volunteering by 10 per cent by 2016. It's clear that having a target is valuable only if we have a way of getting there.

Right now, the Government is developing a comprehensive NSW Volunteering Strategy to support volunteers and increase participation across different communities, and by younger people.

It will focus on promoting volunteering to parts of the community who, for many reasons, have lower participation rates.

It will also include initiatives to work with cultural, sporting, environmental, education, community welfare and emergency service groups to provide appropriate support so that they can attract and retain volunteers.

The NSW strategy will dovetail with the National Volunteering Strategy being developed by the Commonwealth in consultation with the States and Territories.

Are you developing any special policies to increase the participation levels in volunteering from people with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds?

Communities NSW, the Community Relations Commission and the Adult Migrant English Service have been working closely on initiatives to increase participation rates of people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in formal volunteering.

Many people who are from diverse backgrounds already volunteer, but it is often on an informal basis and it's hard to measure their involvement.

We want to offer everyone in NSW the opportunity to be involved in their broader community through volunteering – it's part of our broader and very important agenda of social inclusion.

For example, the State Emergency Service has been working with Adult and Community Education to attract and train volunteers from CALD communities. It has been highly successful and around 80 per cent of CALD participants have stayed on with the SES.

We aim to build on this model this year in partnership with Adult and Community Education and the Adult Migrant English Service.

As both the Minister for Volunteering and Youth, how do you see these two portfolios working together?

Unquestionably, there is significant common ground in the Youth and Volunteering portfolios. This represents a great opportunity for both portfolios. We can capitalise on possibilities that exist in sport and recreation, youth programs, education, local community activities and many other areas.

For some time, there has been a clear need to encourage greater voluntary participation by young people, outside of school and formal programs such as Duke of Edinburgh. That's not to say that many young people do not already sacrifice their time and effort to help out, but there is room for improvement. Also, volunteering is not evenly spread among young people from different backgrounds.

If we can engage young recruits, it will hopefully guide them onto a path of volunteering that will continue throughout their adult lives.

What are the short-term objectives of your portfolio?

The Government's volunteering objectives will be detailed in the NSW Volunteering Strategy, but my short-term objectives include meeting many people involved in the sector across NSW and listening to their concerns and proposed solutions.

The volunteer sector will be consulted during development of the strategy and I encourage anyone with an interest in volunteering to participate in this process and contribute to this important document.

How does your professional experience in government and the public service link to the Volunteering Portfolio management?

Coming from a background in social work prior to politics, I am no stranger to the vitally important role that volunteers play in binding our communities together From my time in local government and in community health, I have seen first-hand what volunteers are capable of – their tireless dedication and the strong commitment they offer to their communities.

Similarly, my work with the Departments of Health, Youth and Community Services, impressed on me the breadth of work that volunteers cover throughout society. It has provided me with a good understanding of the issues facing the sector. I hope I have gained useful insight that will be valuable in my role as Minister for Volunteering.

What volunteer experiences have you personally had?

I have volunteered in a range of community organisations, including ones in local government and community health. I have also been involved in organising community arts activities and neighbourhood centres and am a regular at events such as Clean-Up Australia Day.

How can we reverse the impact the Global Financial Crisis has had on many volunteer-engaging not-for-profit organisations that provide crucial services for the community? What measures can be implemented at State and National levels to increase the financial support offered to volunteer-engaging NFPs?

The impacts of the Global Financial Crisis have been felt universally by government, business and the not-for-profit sector alike. As we enter a phase of economic recovery however, it would seem an excellent time to reassess the way in which volunteering is supported across the broader community.

In an era of emerging social responsibility, opportunities exist to reinvigorate volunteering through far-reaching support for the not-for-profit sector and I believe that there exists a need for government and the corporate sector to work together to ensure that support is available. Greater encouragement must be given to the private sector to invest, not just financially but also in human capital, to ensure that those areas most in need are assisted and allowed to re-emerge from the GFC with a once-more strong resource base on which to re-establish those crucial services.

How can we avoid a potential volunteer crisis considering the rising of volunteering out-of-pocket expenses and the ageing population?

Out-of-pocket expenses and the ageing population are issues of concern not just in NSW but right across the country. They require an Australia-wide solution as part of the National Volunteering Strategy.

The ageing population could present difficulties in attracting volunteers, but there are also opportunities. People are living longer lives, but they're also staying active for longer, which means that they may have more time to volunteer. On the other hand they are also working longer, which may mean that they do not have the time to volunteer.

As you are aware, there are already some mechanisms to meet some out-of-pocket expenses for some areas of volunteering groups such as emergency services, community transport and meals-on-wheels.

As the new Minister for Volunteering, what can you offer the non-for-profit organisations that work with volunteers?

The experience I have gained through a career in the public sector has provided me with a unique understanding of the importance of Volunteering in social inclusion and in creating a sense of community.

Having been involved in diverse grass-roots community activities such as neighbourhood centres and local area health boards, I have gained a broad understanding of more traditional volunteering, as well as the benefits that society can reap in investing and developing relationships with the not-for-profit sector.

I look forward to working together in this area to foster a strengthening volunteer sector throughout NSW and Australia as a whole.