THE QUEENSLAND Volunteering Strategy has been rolled out, with the aim of increasing volunteer numbers across the state.
Although the number of Queenslanders volunteering last year sat around 64%, the number of South East Queenslanders who volunteer took a large slide over the past six years between 2016 at 18.2%, down to 13.7%.
Those who volunteer from Ipswich took an equally concerning decrease over that time from 16.4% in 2016 down to 11.1% in 2021.
In recognition of the vital role of volunteering, the Queensland Volunteering Strategy 2024-2032 outlines a new, whole-of-government strategy to recognise, celebrate and grow volunteering in Queensland.
Volunteers in Queensland deliver significant value for their communities, volunteering an average of 21.6 hours per month for a total of 719.8 million hours across the year.
The estimated cost to replace the labour volunteers freely give each year is more than $31.3 billion, with the value across the board hitting $117.8 billion back into the community.
The Queensland Volunteering Strategy aims to respond to enduring challenges impacting volunteers and the volunteering sector.
It also seeks to identify new opportunities to make sure more people are inspired to give volunteering a go under an ambitious but actionable roadmap.
State Minister for Communities Leeanne Enoch said the release of the strategy marked a significant milestone and the start of a journey of ongoing collaboration and partnerships.
“This strategy only exists because of the clear advocacy and strong support of the volunteering sector,” Ms Enoch said.
We now need to build on this foundation to fully realise the great potential and significant opportunities that volunteering offers for all Queenslanders.”
