VOLUNTEERS have long been the heartbeat of Ipswich’s sporting and recreation clubs – running canteens, lining fields, coaching juniors, officiating matches, and serving on committees that keep weekend sport alive across the city.
But as grassroots participation surges, the volunteer base underpinning it is shrinking, placing growing pressure on clubs already stretched to their limits.
Rugby League Ipswich President David Nugent said the national decline in volunteering is being felt locally, with community rugby league increasingly reliant on a smaller pool of people to support rapidly expanding participation numbers.
“There’s absolutely no doubt it’s impacting Ipswich,” Mr Nugent said. “The whole operation of community rugby league rides almost entirely on the back of volunteers.”
Despite strong support from the Queensland Rugby League, Mr Nugent said the sheer scale of Ipswich Rugby League – which services more than 4000 registered participants and up to 1500 volunteer coaches and support staff – means clubs are operating under mounting strain.
“The challenge isn’t interest in the game,” he said.
“Registrations are surging, particularly in the junior ranks.
“The challenge is having enough volunteers, referees, and support structures in place to make sure everyone who wants to play footy actually gets a game.”
Mr Nugent said the nature of volunteering has changed dramatically over the past decade, with rising insurance requirements, compliance obligations, and safeguarding standards transforming many once-simple roles into positions resembling professional administrative jobs.
“People still want to help, but the expectations and responsibilities are far greater than they used to be,” he said.
“That makes recruitment and retention harder, particularly for families already juggling work and kids’ sport.”
Those pressures have now been formally acknowledged at state level, with the Queensland Government backing a major parliamentary inquiry into volunteering, and committing to long-term reforms aimed at strengthening the sector.
Volunteering Queensland chief executive Jane Hedger said her organisation had been advocating for sustained, long-term support for volunteers for years, particularly within grassroots sport.
“The Government’s commitment to a 10-year plan is a very important step,” Ms Hedger said.
“It creates the opportunity to ensure Queensland’s volunteering ecosystem is not only able to support the Games, but is strong and sustainable well beyond them.”
In its response to the inquiry, tabled in December 2025, the Government supported all eight recommendations in principle and committed to developing a 10-year volunteering strategy ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
While volunteering remains widespread – with an estimated 64.3 per cent of Queenslanders aged 15 and over contributing almost 720 million hours annually – the inquiry found participation is increasingly concentrated among fewer people, placing heavy strain on long-serving volunteers.
Springfield Scout Group Leader Brendan Kross said the shortage of adult leaders has become a critical challenge for the Scouting Movement.
“The biggest hurdle for us is finding enough leaders,” Mr Kross said.
“For a long time, we’ve been running at the limit of what our volunteers can handle.”
State Member for Lytton Joan Pease, who served on the Volunteering in Queensland inquiry, said the investigation had exposed a growing and unsustainable burden on unpaid committee members.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community – but goodwill alone cannot keep the lights on.”
