Neighbourhood and Community Centres

Georganas acknowledged the importance of community centres as hubs for information and emergency support during crises such as floods and fires. Georganas highlighted recent government funding announcements, including $7.3 million for the Western Youth Centre and nearly $2 million for the Unley Community Centre, to support infrastructure upgrades. Georganas described how these facilities provide diverse services ranging from drop-in centres to social groups for seniors, reinforcing their role in community cohesion.

Batt supported the motion, describing neighbourhood centres as essential for fostering social capital and providing crisis support during natural disasters and cost-of-living pressures. Batt cited the Bundaberg & District Neighbourhood Centre, which served as a recovery hub during recent floods, and the Hervey Bay centre, which requested over $1 million for facility upgrades. Batt argued that staff and volunteers were underpaid and overstretched, urging the government to provide long-term funding certainty to maintain these community assets.

Gosling discussed the delay in establishing a youth engagement hub in Darwin, attributing the setback to the Northern Territory government's decision to relocate the project despite it being shovel-ready. Gosling criticised the previous plan's cancellation based on a petition he described as unrepresentative, noting that 450 stakeholders had been consulted. Gosling argued that a dedicated facility was necessary to improve youth wellbeing and reduce offending rates, expressing frustration that federal funding was available but progress had been stalled by territorial political decisions.

Rebello commended the motion and highlighted the role of community centres on the southern Gold Coast during ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, where they provided safe havens and coordination points. Rebello noted that many centres were underfunded and reliant on short-term grants, creating uncertainty for staff and volunteers. Rebello called for the government to fund the Stronger Communities Program to provide stable support, arguing that investing in these centres reduced pressure on other services and prevented crises from escalating.