The week following Queensland’s flooding disaster, politicians from every level of government began visiting neighbourhood and community centres to view first-hand the extraordinary work centres are doing to support their communities.

On March 3, Mark Bailey MP, Graham Perrett MP & Tanya Plibersek MP visited Yeronga Community Centre. The following day, Graham Perrett  MP visited St David’s Neighbourhood Centre, and both Councillor Steve Griffiths and Peter Russo MP make phone contact.

Two days later, Kingston East Neighbourhood Centre hosts Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Shannon Fentiman MP, Cameron Dick MP,  Mayor of Logan City Darren Power and Councillor Mindy Russell. They take part in the community BBQ and announce the Flood Recovery Funding Campaign with funding to GIVIT, The Australian Cross, The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul Society Qld, and Lifeline.

The same week, Amy MacMahon MP met with NCQ to understand the state-wide picture and discuss the state budget asks, and visited West End Community House.

There were also visits by Shannon Fentiman MP & Councillor Miriam Stemp to Kingston East Neighbourhood Centre and Graham Perrett MP to both Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre and Yeronga Community Centre. Jason Hunt MP visited Caloundra Neighbourhood Centre, Charis Mullen MP and Milton Dick MP visited Gailes Community House and Mark Bailey MP visited Benarrawa Community Development Association.

Leanne Enoch MP, (the Minister for Communities and Housing and Minister for the Arts and Digital Economy of Queensland), has also been visiting centres.

Neighbourhood Centres Queensland and neighbourhood and community centres are continuing to meet with MPs to discuss our 2022-2023 State Budget asks, with increased resourcing for neighbourhood centres ever more vital given the impact of compounding disasters in our communities.

Published: 21 March, 2022