Berwick’s Neighbourhood House is set to receive increased recurrent funding should the Liberals win the State election.
In 2018, additional funding of $5.4m per annum was provided to Neighbourhood Houses Victoria (NHV) following a significant campaign by the sector, which was supported the Liberals.
Victorian Shadow Minister for Seniors Tim Bull said recurrent funding would end the uncertainty in the sector created by the current government.
“Everyone who received this funding believed it was recurrent and utilised for core service provision purposes,” Mr Bull said.
Some staff were placed on permanent contracts and programs were established to run well into the future but Neighbourhood House managers and workers were later told by the State Government that the funding was not recurrent.
NHV has advised if funding was not secured on a permanent basis, it would result in either the closure or a major reduction in services at 27 of Victoria’s 401 Neighbourhood Houses and a reduction of 154,000 hours across the remaining centres.
Brad Battin MP said Neighbourhood Houses played a vital role in the community and deserved certainty.
“We refuse to sit by and watch a number of them close, leaving our community without vital programs that support families and those vulnerable in our community when the cost of living is rising,” Mr Battin said.
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria’s interim chief executive Cameron MacRae said NHV was pleased to see the Liberals’ commitment.
“In doing so, the Victorian Liberals and Nationals recognise the important role Neighbourhood Houses play in strengthening health and wellbeing outcomes for local Victorian communities, particularly in regional and rural Victoria where half of our over 400 Neighbourhood Houses are located,” Mr MacRae said.
“We look forward to hopefully seeing bipartisan support on this issue leading into the State election.
“The uncertainty currently faced by Neighbourhood Houses and Networks simply cannot continue.”
The additional funding provided for 167 Neighbourhood Houses to increase their coordination hours to 25 hours a week, with 27 Neighbourhood Houses receiving financial support for the first time.
