Vulnerable residents in the Myall Lakes region will have less access to crucial support, after the Forster Neighbourhood Centre was forced to reduce its operating hours due to a lack of assistance by the Minns Labor Government.
The Centre will now close its doors every Monday after the Minns Government refused a request to fund a crisis response worker.
The decision comes on top of Labor’s failure to provide core operational funding to neighbourhood centres across NSW despite promising to do so in the lead up to the 2023 election.
Nationals Member for Myall Lakes Tanya Thompson said it’s a betrayal of the thousands of people who need help.
“The Forster Neighbourhood Centre is essential social infrastructure that gives vulnerable residents a physical door to walk through to be able to get help,” Mrs Thompson said.
“In some cases this can be a family who may not be able to afford food, someone who doesn’t have anywhere to sleep, or a resident who may not have a safe home to go to.
“Labor campaigned on a promise to provide the essential funding to allow neighbourhood centres across the state to operate, yet when it comes to delivering on its promise the government has turned its back on our communities.
“It is a complete betrayal, and I am calling on the Minister for Families and Communities and the Premier to step up and deliver what they said they would.”
The centre has seen a threefold increase in demand over the past year but is running at a loss, which has forced it to cut operating hours by 25 percent.
Forster Neighbourhood Centre manager Corinne Stephenson said the organisation needs $150,000 to $200,000 a year to secure its operations.
“The work we do is crucial to the community, especially given the closest services are located at least 40 minutes away,” Ms Stephenson said.
“Our incredible staff and volunteers do as much as they can with the resources we have, but we are already stretched to our limits.
“We didn’t take this decision lightly, and we know it will impact those who rely on us for support, but without adequate funding we simply cannot meet demand.
“Our requests for government support have so far been consistently met with ‘there is no more funding’ but we will continue to advocate for what we need to help the community.”
