Community service providers have cautiously welcomed a three-year approval of funding.
Earlier this month, a number of community organisations told the Gazette they faced an uncertain future, unsure if the funding they received from the Department of Family and Community Services via the Community Builders Program would continue from July 1.
Last week the department told the organisations funding would be provided for three years, instead of on a year-to-year basis.
“You can’t give organisations a so-called rollover for 12 months to tell people whether they can keep their staff on for the next 12 months. The level of uncertainty and anxiety is high. So this is an acknowledgement that it’s not okay to do that,” said Kris Newton from Mountains Community and Resource Network.
While they were pleased about the news, local service providers said they were unsure whether their level of funding and jobs would be affected.
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle welcomed the move, saying she had “made a number of representations and interventions on behalf of the community services sector, and I am relieved that the minister has heeded my call to provide certainty to the sector with this funding announcement.”
Ms Doyle said she would be seeking a meeting with Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward to discuss the detail of the funding announcement.
As the department introduces its Targeted Earlier Intervention Reforms, the community organisations say funding is being shifted towards the crisis end of management, targetting vulnerable families with kids aged under three, Aboriginal families and youth, and removed from the base support level.
“We all support early intervention and prevention, but across the spectrum of our community,” said Jo Ridley of Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre.
A department spokesman confirmed “the funding amounts for organisations will be maintained for each of the three years, subject to indexation.
“Employment conditions of staff in organisations funded by FACS are the responsibility of the organisation in question.”