budget priorities statement 2020-21
www.volunteeringtas.org.au
As the peak body for volunteering in Tasmania, Volunteering Tasmania aims to better support the volunteers, volunteer-involving organisations, and the Tasmanian Government as we work together to ensure a vibrant and active volunteer sector for all of us.
Through our 220 members we represent over 50,000 Tasmanians who give their time to volunteering.
who we are
purposehelping Tasmanians experience the benefits of volunteering
our valuesbe informed be inspired be connected make a difference
budget priorities statement 2020-21 2
Volunteers are an essential part of Tasmania’s economic and social recovery and rebuilding in the wake of the global pandemic. The sustainability of many of our organisations and our communities will depend on the contributions of volunteers across areas such as sport, arts, education, emergency services, environment, health, aged care, disability support, tourism and community welfare. Without volunteers many of the programs, services and activities that Tasmanians need will not get done.The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact
on volunteering in Tasmania. Ninety percent of
Tasmanian volunteer programs have been impacted.
Many organisations have had to stand down their
volunteers, with around 250,000 volunteering hours
per week being lost. This dramatic change comes
on the back of already declining volunteer numbers.
Over the past five years there has been an 11% drop
in volunteering participation in Tasmania, from 80%
in 2014 to 69% in 2019.
The Premier’s Economic Social Recovery Advisory
Council (PESRAC) Interim Report acknowledges
that the volunteer sector is carrying an especially
onerous compliance burden relating to COVID-19
Safe requirements and developing their COVID-19
Safe Plans. Many volunteer-involving organisations
do not have the resources to respond to the health
and economic crisis, and adapt to the changing
demands of volunteers.
It is vital that we invest in volunteering so we can
rebuild our economy. Volunteers make a significant
contribution to the Tasmanian economy with the
value of volunteering at $4 billion per year.
This includes the $3 billion it would cost to replace
the labour that volunteers contribute to our State,
as well as $1 billion in commercial and civic benefits
contributed through volunteering.
We also need an investment in volunteering so we
can build more connected and resilient communities.
The PESRAC Interim Report notes the increase
in demand for services supporting people with
mental health issues. We know that volunteering
and participation are key to tackling the isolation,
loneliness and anxiety that Tasmanians are likely to
continue to experience.
Tasmanians have shown themselves to be generous
volunteers. Before the COVID-19 outbreak around
297,000 of them volunteered and they were
giving over 4 hours every week to volunteering. In
response to the COVID-19 outbreak Tasmanians
once again reached out to support and care for
others through organisations and communities. In
University of Tasmania research1 people across all
age groups reported spending more time caring
for others, including children, elderly people, and
those living with disability, as well as looking out for
their neighbours. Over 1000 additional Tasmanians
responded to the call for volunteers signing up to
the emergency volunteering program EV CREW, with
2450 Tasmanians now on the database.
We welcome the recommendations in the PESRAC
Interim Report that the ‘State Government should
engage with Volunteering Tasmania to develop
support measures to enable organisations to
retain and attract volunteers’; and that ‘Workplace
Standards should make special efforts, including
by providing simple templates, to assist volunteer-
based organisations develop COVID-19 Safety
Plans’. We support other recommendations that
are important for volunteer-involving organisations,
including funding certainty through more flexible,
longer term contracts, and improved access to digital
technology. We also support the implementation
of place-based, community-led approaches to
Tasmania’s recovery so that local people can lead
transformative, inclusive change for our State.1. University of Tasmania, The Tasmania Project Report No 10, May 2020.
executive summary
budget priorities statement 2020-21 3
In this budget submission Volunteering Tasmania is requesting a strategic investment in volunteering by the State Government to enable us to:
Prepare a Tasmanian Volunteer Strategy
2021-2026 with actions that will meet the needs
of Government, volunteers, organisations and
local communities during COVID-19 recovery and
into the future;
Ensure responsibility for a statewide strategic
approach is taken at the highest level with the
appointment of a Minister with a dedicated
volunteering portfolio;
Engage with volunteers to understand their needs
so they can be re-connected with organisations
and contribute to the COVID-19 recovery; and
Support our volunteer-involving organisations to
adapt their post-COVID operations to effectively
recruit, support and manage a more flexible
volunteer workforce.
We also request a commitment from the
Tasmanian Government to continue to fund the
Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) supplement
that is currently provided to the base funding
of Volunteering Tasmania and to our member
organisations that have staff on the relevant Awards.
The removal of this supplement beyond December
2020 would be a 20% cut in services provided by
VT and represent substantial cuts to other
community-based volunteer involving organisations
providing essential services that are needed now
more than ever.
Volunteering is vital to the Tasmanian way of
life. Tasmanians need more support to be able
to volunteer in the way they choose to do it.
Organisations need more support to engage
volunteers in a safe and meaningful way that
helps them deliver their services, supports and
activities. Our State needs to invest in volunteering
to ensure that the sector can continue to make
its vital contribution to our economy, society and
cultural wellbeing through the COVID-19 recovery
and into the future. Through volunteering we can
help Tasmania’s communities become the most
connected and resilient in the country.
Dr Lisa Schimanski,
CEO, Volunteering Tasmania
We welcome the recommendations in the PESRAC Interim Report that the ‘State Government should engage with Volunteering Tasmania to develop support measures to enable organisations to retain and attract volunteers’.
Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy 2021-26
Minister
Volunteer Engagement
Project 2020 - 2021
Volunteer Management
Innovation Program 2020 - 2023
budget priorities statement 2020-21 4
investmentA C T I V I T Y
Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy 2021 - 2026Stage 1: Hold statewide consultations and develop the strategy.
Key deliverables: Evidence base of best practice volunteer
frameworks, nationally and internationally.
Comprehensive consultation across all
Tasmanian volunteer sectors including
government.
A statewide Volunteer Strategy and
Action Plan.
June 2021 – Draft Strategy with a focus on
COVID recovery Actions
Dec 2021 – Final Strategy with 5-year horizon
Stage 2: Implementation of Action Plan
Key deliverables: Immediate delivery of actions for COVID
recovery from the Volunteer Strategy.
Further funding will be sought for Years
2-5 of the Strategy.
A C T I V I T Y
Volunteer Engagement Project 2020 - 2021Hold statewide consultations through surveys,
focus groups and interviews to better understand
post-COVID volunteer needs, satisfaction and
barriers. Consolidate findings to inform the
Volunteer Strategy and subsequent Action Plan.
June 2021 – Preliminary findings and actions
with a focus on COVID recovery.
Dec 2021 – Final findings and actions
to support greater volunteer satisfaction
and engagement and support the
volunteer strategy.
Key deliverables:
Re-engagement of volunteers with
volunteering through the COVID
recovery period.
The volunteer voice within the
Volunteer Strategy with an emphasis
on volunteer satisfaction.
A C T I V I T Y
Volunteer Management Innovation Program 2020 - 2023Nov 2020 – Feb 2021 consultation with
volunteer organisations across all sectors
and co-design of the Volunteer Management
Innovation Program.
Key deliverables: Evidence base of best practice programs.
April 2021-June 2024 Implement Volunteer
Management Innovation Program.
Support innovative program design by volunteer
organisations.
Key deliverables: Year 1 would have a specific focus on
COVID recovery, subsequent years would
focus on longer-term innovation and best
practice across the sector.
Implement Volunteer Management
Innovation Program.
Evaluate program – process and outcome
evaluation including a ripple effect
methodology to capture program impact.
A strategic investment over three years by the State Government would support the recovery of the sector from COVID-19 and contribute to much needed sustainability in the sector and make sure we have enough volunteers in the right places into the future.
$600,000 over 3 years+ Continued payment of the ERO
Supplementation beyond 2020
I N V E S T M E N T
$200,000 over 2 years
Jan 2021-Dec 2021 $112,000 This includes a personnel, travel and
accommodation and other consultation costs,
print, design and promotion, and on-costs and
administrative overheads.
July 2021-June 2022 $88,000This could include grants, salaries, consultancy,
infrastructure – dependent on the priorities in
the strategy.
I N V E S T M E N T
$100,000 over 1 yearThis includes personnel, travel and
accommodation and other consultation costs
(including volunteer reimbursements), promotion,
on-costs and administrative overheads.
I N V E S T M E N T
$300,000 over 3 yearsThis includes personnel, travel and
accommodation and other consultation
costs in the co-design phase. Budget for
podcasts, webinars, digital assets and
equipment. As well as face to face training
and workshops out of hours and on weekends
as required to reach the target organisations
and volunteers. On-costs and administrative
overheads are included.
budget priorities statement 2020-21 5
Volunteering is uncertain due to COVID-19 with 90% of Tasmanian volunteer programs being impacted as many organisations had to stand down their volunteers. Around 250,000 volunteering hours a week have been lost during the COVID lockdown.
Prior to COVID-19 volunteer numbers were already declining. There was an 11% drop in volunteering participation over the past five years, from 80% in 2014 to 69% in 2019.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the volunteering sector and the willingness and ability of people to engage in volunteering.
Many volunteer-involving organisations do not have the resources to respond to the crisis and adapt to the changing demands of volunteers.
Like many areas across our economy and society,
volunteering has been impacted by the pandemic.
Volunteering Tasmania’s survey of members in April
told us that 90% of Tasmanian volunteer programs
have been impacted by the restrictions, and many
organisations had stood down volunteers from
their programs. While many have taken innovative
approaches to adapting their operations, there
are concerns that volunteers will not return. These
organisations are anticipating a long recovery from
COVID-19 as volunteers are slow to re-engage and
they grapple with how to re-engage people safely.
This places at risk those services and programs
that help the more vulnerable members of our
community.
“I am concerned about the lack of social connection for our clients who are socially isolated and rely on the interaction with our volunteers to be connected. There is also the risk of volunteers not returning to the program when the situation changes back to the new normal.”
Recent national research by the ANU for
Volunteering Australia2 shows that 65% of all
volunteers across Australia were stood down. This
equates to over 12 million volunteering hours lost
each week nationally – an estimated 250,000
volunteering hours a week lost in Tasmania.
Tasmanians had been volunteering for less time prior
to the outbreak. There was a 3.9% decrease in the
number of hours people are volunteering each year,
from a total of 71 million hours in 2014 to around 68
million in 2019.
the challenges
2. Volunteering Australia, Research Briefing: The experience of volunteers during COVID-19, May 2020
budget priorities statement 2020-21 6
The COVID-19 outbreak is exacerbating the
volunteering challenges that have been emerging
in recent years. Tasmania’s volunteer numbers are
declining as our population ages, especially in our
regions. The State of Volunteering Report 2019
showed an 11% drop in volunteering participation
over the past five years, from 80% in 2014 to 69% in
2019. If this trend continues, and as our population
ages, we will be reliant on the support of fewer
people in the workforce who are available to
volunteer, especially in our regions.
The way people volunteer is also changing with
people being increasingly time-poor, and younger
people in particular wanting more flexibility and
smaller commitments. Tasmania’s volunteers are
also less satisfied in their volunteering with a drop
in satisfaction from 48% positive in 2014 to 16% in
20194. Volunteer-involving organisations risk being
out of step without significant changes to the way
they manage volunteers. We must amplify the voices
of volunteers in our sector and our State.
COVID-19 is having a significant impact on
Tasmania’s small volunteer-based organisations. Half
of Tasmania’s volunteers (around 100,000 people)
are in organisations that are either completely run by
volunteers or have less than five staff5. The PESRAC
Interim Report acknowledges that the volunteer
sector is carrying an especially onerous compliance
burden relating to COVID-19. These organisations
need more resources and support to comply with
state-based COVID safety plans, additional local
council requirements, legal, insurance, and risk
(including potential discrimination) considerations.
“It is hard to attract volunteers, particularly committee volunteers such presidents, secretaries, treasurers who are able to communicate with the Government demands. It is difficult for smaller organisations to find or replace the ones who have left, either because of old age, or the inability to continue taking part because of the demanding work requested by the Government.”
3. Australian Sports Foundation, https://covid.sportsfoundation.org.au
4. Volunteering Tasmania: State of Volunteering Report 2019
5. Volunteering Tasmania: State of Volunteering Report 2019
Community sport is at risk. In Tasmania 40% of volunteering activity takes place in and around sport. A recent Australian Sports Foundation Report3 estimates that one-quarter of community sporting organisations across the country are at risk of closing down due to COVID-19.
Community sport is a fundamental part of the lives of thousands of Tasmanians who spend their Saturdays as players, coaches, umpires and supporters. These sporting clubs are the life-blood of many rural and regional communities. To ensure the sustainability of these organisations we need to invest in volunteers and volunteering.
budget priorities statement 2020-21 7
Through volunteering we can address the social isolation, loneliness and anxiety that many Tasmanians are likely to experience as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
With a strategic approach and community-led action we can ensure there are enough volunteers to meet the needs of the COVID-19 recovery and for our sectors into the future.
With support and information we can ensure organisations are able to adapt their operations to manage a more flexible volunteer workforce.
Volunteering Tasmania is seeking to work in
partnership with the State Government to make
Tasmania’s communities the most resilient and
connected in Australia. We acknowledge the risk
of rising social isolation and loneliness as outlined
in the PESRAC Interim Report. Volunteering and
participation is a key strategy for addressing this risk
by making sure all Tasmanians have someone to
count on in times of need.
Volunteering has a key role to play in protecting
mental health and wellbeing by fostering
participation and connection. Our member
organisations are particularly concerned about
the potential impacts on volunteers’ mental health
and wellbeing due to extended periods of time
away from volunteering, especially older people
who experience social isolation. Analysis based
on the OECD Better Life Index data shows that
social connections are the single most important
determinant of people’s level of life satisfaction,
measured by whether people have someone to
count on in a time of need.6 A strong social network
and community can provide access to jobs, services
and other material opportunities as well as emotional
support during challenging times.7
Recent ANU research shows that volunteering is
an important protective factor against stress with
volunteers having a smaller decline in life satisfaction
during the COVID-19 outbreak than people who
did not volunteer. There is recognition around the
world that volunteerism is a fundamental resilience
strategy and a property of resilient communities.8
A strategic approach to local volunteering promotes
collective strategies for managing risk, and is
particularly important for the wellbeing of vulnerable
and marginalised groups.
the opportunities
6. Scrivens, K 2013, OECD Better Life Index: Valuing Relationships, http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/blog/valuing-relationships.htm
7. OECD Better Life Index, http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/community/
8. United Nations, State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, 2018.
budget priorities statement 2020-21 8
Tasmanian Volunteer Strategy 2020-2025 with actions that will meet the needs of Government, volunteers, organisations and local communities through the COVID-19 recovery and into the future.
Minister with a dedicated volunteering portfolio.
Volunteer Engagement Project to understand the needs of volunteers so they can be re-connected with organisations and contribute to the COVID-19 recovery.
Volunteer Management Innovation Program for volunteer-involving organisations to adapt their operations to effectively recruit, support and manage their volunteer workforce in a changing context.
Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy 2021-2026
The COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated and
accelerated some key challenges in volunteering
in Tasmania. It is necessary to take a strategic
approach so that we can ensure all sectors and
regions have the volunteers they need to recover
and rebuild into the future.
Tasmania is one of only three states in Australia
that does not have a volunteering strategy.
The aim of the Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy
2021-26 is to achieve sustainability in volunteering
as a vital part of our way of life. The Strategy would
set out a coordinated, strategic and community-
based approach that identifies gaps, challenges,
opportunities and solutions. It would set clear
objectives for the COVID-19 recovery and the
longer term across regions, across sectors, for
communities, organisations and volunteers
themselves. It would articulate priorities for
community-led local action that can be achieved
within the five years of the Strategy.
The Strategy would build on the research conducted
for the State of Volunteering Report 2019. It would
be developed by actively engaging with the broad
range of individuals and organisations engaged in
volunteering.
the solutions
budget priorities statement 2020-21 9
Minister for Volunteering
A Minister responsible for volunteering will provide
a focus for the thousands of Tasmanians who
volunteer. They will also provide accountability within
government for implementing the actions in the
Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy.
Volunteering aligns with the Government’s Recovery
and Rebuild priorities, as well as the strategic focus
on employment, wellbeing and adult learning. By
appointing a Minister responsible for volunteering
Tasmania will join Victoria, South Australia and
Western Australia that also have Ministers.
Volunteer Engagement Project
It is vital that our volunteers feel safe and have a
positive experience of volunteering. During the
COVID-19 outbreak in Tasmania 70% of volunteers
were stood down and many organisations are
concerned they will not return. By engaging
directly with volunteers we can identify their
needs and understand in more detail the reasons
for the decline in satisfaction with participation in
volunteering in Tasmania.
Through the Volunteer Engagement Project we
will have conversations with people who currently
participate, or have previously participated, in
volunteering, and who may have stood down from
their roles during the COVID-19 outbreak. We
will reach out to volunteers across the state and
across our diverse sectors to understand more
deeply how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted
them. We will seek to understand how to support
Tasmanians to re-engage or engage for the first time
in volunteering. We will develop a range of actions
that re-engage volunteers and rebuild our volunteer
levels. The results of this project will also inform the
development of the Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy.
Volunteer Management Innovation Program
Many of Tasmania’s volunteer-involving
organisations have had to adapt quickly to the
new demands of the response to the COVID-19
outbreak. Some have been innovative in their
approaches while others have faced challenges
due to their limited resources. Although COVID-19
has had a significant and severe negative impact
on volunteering, it has also presented a number of
opportunities for volunteer organisations to think
differently about how they engage volunteers and
the role of volunteering in their organisations.
Into the future organisations will need to meet the
demands of a younger generation of volunteers
who want more flexible arrangements, shorter
time commitments and ways to use technology.
By investing now, Tasmania’s volunteer-involving
organisations can ensure their volunteer
management practices are sustainable into
the future.
The Volunteer Management
Innovation Program will:
Support organisations to re-engage volunteers differently;
Challenge organisations to think about how volunteers can support their activities; and
Develop better use of digital technology to support volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations. For example, online op shops, out-of-hours support and connection, and use of phone and video technology.
Equal Remuneration Order
We also request a commitment from the
Tasmanian Government to continue to fund the
Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) supplement
that is currently provided to the base funding
of Volunteering Tasmania and to our member
organisations that have staff on the relevant Awards.
The removal of this supplement beyond December
2020 would be a 20% cut in services provided by
VT and represent substantial cuts to other
community-based volunteer involving organisations
providing essential services that are needed now
more than ever.
the solutions
budget priorities statement 2020-21 10
www.volunteeringtas.org.au
[email protected] Tel: 1800 677 89575 Federal Street, North Hobart, Tasmania 7000