Political parties entering the NSW 2023 election must consider their policies for supporting social infrastructure. This means guaranteeing and resourcing independent community centres, community development staff, and support services to ensure the stability and sustainability of the sector.
The importance of such a move cannot be understated. We must ensure that these essential supports adequately serve our communities to ensure our collective well-being. Here is why political parties should prioritise this heading into the upcoming election.
There are over 175 independent community or neighbourhood centres, undoubtedly NSW’s largest community-led infrastructure network. They are uniquely placed to know and respond to the needs and aspirations of their communities. They facilitate community development projects, coordinate service delivery, and are integral to frontline responses to and recovery from natural disasters. They are recognised as the most agile, responsive, and empowering providers in a diverse community services sector. Yet few of them receive any guaranteed, recurrent core funding.
While a vast amount of State government funds goes into the local building, road infrastructure, and sports stadiums, there needs to be more to get invested into the people and community side of the equation.
The Benefits of Social Infrastructure
Social infrastructure is critical in helping people access vital services often inaccessible through traditional methods. From providing mental health support to offering employment opportunities, social infrastructure serves as an important bridge for connecting individuals with the necessary resources that are required for them to succeed.
Research has shown that when communities have access to solid social infrastructure, poverty levels decrease and economic growth increases; their resilience is remarkable, and it aids in improving the overall quality of life for everyone involved.
social infrastructure Create Leaders
The most successful social infrastructure initiatives foster an environment of leadership, empowerment, and connection. Community centres play an essential role in creating these hubs for growth and development, where individuals can access resources, workshops, and guidance from experienced mentors and support staff. This provides a safe space for individuals to learn about their communities, find their voice, take local ownership, and create local solutions to wicked issues.
Community Centres aid in reducing social isolation, providing a platform for people to come together and create meaningful relationships over shared interests and strengths. This helps build strong neighbourhoods that can work collectively towards creating positive outcomes for individuals, families, and the entire community.
During disasters and crises, centres also play a critical role in providing the leadership for a coordinated response, local expertise, knowledge to first responders and relief and assistance to vulnerable community members. This has been proven beyond doubt in recent times where, during natural disasters like bushfires, COVID-19 and floods, community centres can become a refuge for those in need and whose response is more valued than that of the slow and clunky machinery of so-called experts and bureaucracy that were often found leaving communities feeling let down.
In addition to building centres of learning and support, there is also a need for adequate community development staff – those trained to understand the complex needs of their communities and provide meaningful backbone support that brings people together and builds cohesion and sustainable change. These individuals are crucial to ensuring social infrastructure initiatives are culturally competent and collectively owned, and their leadership value is often overlooked.
The Need for Long-Term Resourcing of Social Infrastructure
In addition to having access to social infrastructure, it is also essential that these supports are provided long-term so that people can rely on them over time. Without consistent resourcing and funding, social infrastructure can become unreliable and potentially non-existent if left unchecked. This puts those who depend on these supports at risk of being unable to access what they need when they need it most, leading to increased poverty levels and inequality in our society.
Resourcing must be adequate and fair so that the social infrastructure available to communities is proportional to their needs and population. This must be supported by solid data analysis, research and consultation with local stakeholders, not just historical norms.
For too long, existing and locally trusted providers have yet to see adequate increases in their funding to support the higher-density communities they are working in. Some centres’ funding barely covers the cost of two salaries, never mind the cost of running a well-utilised community facility and support service. Yet, the funders demand an arm and leg for their crumbs.
Suppose you think a $5 to 50k grant will cut it. In that case, you have yet to learn what it costs to hire qualified, experienced staff, maintain their facilities, cover utility bills, and obtain the mandated insurance for their work before the actual program costs.
If only the Government public servants factored in the cost of their own staff time when setting grant limits for their NGO counterparts, they would realise how inadequate their offerings are.
The misguided policy of competitive tendering to bring about better value and improved quality in service provision has only created a market for politically connected, vulture-type helicopter agencies that promise the earth, undercutting local expertise and never actually producing the goods and end up costing communities and Government more in damage repair.
The Role Of Political Parties
Political parties are responsible for acting on this issue by committing themselves to providing long-term resourcing for social infrastructure during the next election cycle in NSW 2023.
They must articulate how they plan on doing this for voters to be able to trust them with implementing such policies once elected into office. Not only will this help ensure that our communities have access to essential services provided by social infrastructure, but it will also demonstrate a commitment from political parties towards creating a fairer society where everyone has an equal opportunity for success regardless of their background or circumstances.
Political parties should prioritise supporting the campaign for guaranteed and proper long-term resourcing of social infrastructure such as independent community centres, community development staff, and support services heading into the NSW 2023 election cycle if they want voters’ trust to come polling day.
Doing so would show a genuine commitment towards creating an equitable society where all individuals can reach their full potential regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances—and isn’t that something we all want? We urge decision-makers and policy writers across all sides of politics in NSW 2023 election cycle to listen up! Support your local communities today! Let’s make sure everyone can get behind this message!
We encourage you to check out the campaigns by the PEAKS NCOSS and LCSA on this issue.
This video from the USA has been making the rounds on social media. If you haven’t seen it, it does a great job of highlighting the unreasonable demands some non-profit funders make worldwide. It’s both hilarious and depressingly accurate.
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