By Maddison Howell
AHEAD of the upcoming election, the Liberals and Nationals have pledged to invest $10M to neighbourhood houses to ensure a vital boost to our community hubs.
This four-year commitment is aimed to strengthen Victoria’s neighbourhood houses by providing much needed funds to those that currently receive no state funding, while continuing to support those that do.
Under the Nationals candidate for the Shepparton District Shane Sali’s pledge, a $6M growth fund will be set up to ensure neighbourhood houses continue to establish and prosper across Victoria.
“Neighbourhood houses have continued to deliver more services with less funding. They are often the first place people turn to for a meal, practical support or a connection to their community,” he said.
Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre (MEAC) Manager, Jan Phillips, explains how neighbourhood houses provide a vital role in shaping our communities.
“It’s more than just a community centre, every community deserves a place where people know they belong, for Mooroopna, that place is MEAC.”
“The offer for $10 million is certainly welcome and would provide valuable assistance, however, it is significantly less than what the sector needs and what neighbourhood houses Victoria is seeking,” she said.
“While houses such as MEAC receive core funding, we also undertake a significant amount of community work that is not funded. For example, MEAC operates food relief every day, distributing approximately 65,000 kilograms of food each year, as well as providing a meals program.”
While this four-year commitment will provide much needed aid to a substantial issue, there is still a lot of work to do to give our neighbourhood houses the help they deserve.
