Tasmania’s 35 Neighbourhood Houses have won cross-party backing for increased and adequate funding, after parliamentarians heard that demand for their services has surged in recent years.
A motion put forward by independent Franklin MP David O’Byrne’s, calling for adequate funding and five-year agreements, passed without opposition on Wednesday.
Each house currently receives core funding for only two full-time staff.
“Community contacts in Neighbourhood Houses have increased by 148% since the COVID-19 pandemic, but this increased community need has not been matched by increased funding,” O’Byrne told parliament.
“As a result of delivering more services, the Neighbourhood Houses network has reached its financial limits.”
He said the houses had become “providers of essential services including food relief” and were helping people navigate health, mental health, housing and parenting services.
Community and Multicultural Affairs Minister Madeleine Ogilvie said government support had grown from $4.7 million in 2013–14 to more than $15 million today.
“Our funding will continue to grow,” she said.
“We will deliver core funding, indexed at 3% each year, $1.296 million over four years for the community connector program and $1.416 million over three years to expand the community connector program.”
The houses now distribute over 5,000 kilograms of food each week and rely heavily on volunteers, averaging 168 hours per week per house.
They serve communities with some of the state’s highest levels of economic and social disadvantage.
Labor’s Jess Greene said the houses were “increasingly dealing with more complex issues” and keeping “thousands of Tasmanians afloat every single week”.
“They keep food on the table, they’re a shoulder to lean on and they help navigate through systems that are often stacked against people,” she said.
“They are a safe place for many because they are so accessible and they’re doing it off the smell of an oily rag.”
The motion also noted some houses risked running out of money due to the delayed state budget following the early election.
The unanimous support signals strong parliamentary backing for Treasurer Eric Abetz to boost Neighbourhood House funding in the upcoming budget.
