More than 1000 volunteers will be recruited across NSW, to support their communities when it matters most thanks to a new grants program unveiled by the Minns Labor Government.
Four experienced state-wide not-for-profit organisations - Anglicare, Australian Red Cross, Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network and St Vincent de Paul Society - will share in $1.9 million in funding through the Recovery Services Capacity Grants Program.
In partnership with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, these organisations will develop flexible volunteering pathways that can be scaled up quickly, ensuring recovery operations are better resourced and more responsive to local needs.
These trained volunteers will be activated during the recovery phase and deployed across recovery centres, recovery assistance points and community outreach initiatives - providing practical support, information and comfort to people who have been impacted.
With the roll out of the program, the Minns Labor Government is directly addressing a key recommendation of the 2022 Flood Inquiry for better integration of spontaneous community responders, and better mobilisation of volunteers during the recovery stage of disasters and emergencies.
Projects will focus on recruiting and training formal and informal volunteers, who are often the first to step forward and support their community following a disaster.
Volunteers play a vital role not only during emergencies but throughout the recovery process. However, the pool of available volunteers is shrinking at the same time as the frequency of disasters increases, making programs like this essential to maintaining local recovery capacity.
By investing in recovery services and partnering with experienced not-for-profit organisations, the NSW Government and the NSW Reconstruction Authority are ensuring that communities across the state have the right support networks in place to recover stronger and faster from future disasters.
More information on the Program can be found at https://www.nsw.gov.au/recovery-services-capacity-grants
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said:
"We all recognise and appreciate the incredible community spirit that is evident in times of crisis.
"This program harnesses that energy, builds local capacity and ensures volunteers are supported and ready to respond when their communities need them to.
"Together we are helping to create more resilient communities that are better prepared for and can recover faster after a disaster."
Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:
"Volunteers are the lifeblood of our communities contributing over 800 million hours a year.
"Many people step up during an emergency to help their local communities rebuild. For that, we are incredibly thankful.
"This new funding is a crucial injection into the sector to ensure our volunteers receive the training and support they need, as well as making sure we can recruit more volunteers when our communities need them."
NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon said:
"Volunteers are a huge part of disaster recovery, and we rely on them to support communities during the long journey of building back.
"This initiative is based on lessons learnt from the 2022 Flood Inquiry, which highlighted the need to better coordinate and support those who step up to help their communities during natural disasters.
"We look forward to working with our not-for-profit recovery partners to bolster volunteer capacity around the state."
