EMBARGO: 1.30 PM
FOR MEDIA FRIDAY, 19 MARCH 1982
LAUNCHING OF' THE SYDNEY CITY MISSION'S 120TH ANNIVERSARY APPEAL
I am delighted and o-honioured to be here today because the
Sydney City Mission provides a living, dynamic, example of how
to help the people in our community who really need help.
This Mission was founded by volunteers who saw the reality of
other people's need and suffering staring them in., theface,. and
these founders got straight on with the job of helping in a
practical way.
As we have bEen told, it was Benjamin Short, the AMP Society's
first insurance salesman, who founded this Mission, with the
help of businessmen, clergymen and Members of Parliament. To
take the initiative and do something about the problems which
they saw in * their community in a purely voluntary way was
impressive at. the time, and it is reassuring that there are so
many people today who are willing to follow their example.
The continuity of concern about poverty and other problems
which members of this Mission have been expressing for the past
120 years shows real dedication. When we look at the
activities of the Sydney Mission in 1982, we can be confident
that the same! kind of concern is going to continue to exist
for years to come.
I wish it was possible to look ahead realistically to a time
when the kind of problems which the Mission takes in hand so
effectively would have been overcome completely to circumstances
in which this kind of suffering would be eliminated entirely,
but while that is probably not possible, our response must
be to strive even harder to achieve as much as we can. There
will continue! to be a job to be done, a task in which all sections
of the community have a role to play and responsibilities to
fulfil.
And I must say that it is impressive to be associated with an
organisation such as this, where there is a dedicated staff of
250 solidly backed up by more than 500 volunteers from all parts
of Sydney, all working to reduce suffering and create a brighter
future for people who are currently experiencing difficulty or
hardship. This Mission helps in opening up lines of communication
with many who can do little to help themselves, the homeless,
young people in crisis, the aged, drug dependants, alcoholics
and needy children.. / 2
-2
Through this work, the Mission is more than a vehicle for helping
such people, it is an investment for the future of us all.
The care and assistance which the Mission provides has given
countless people a firmer and more secure base from which to
begin their lives again, and make a useful and rewarding
contribution to the society in which they live. The task of
giving people confidence and restoring their self-respect is
vastly important in this kind of work, and no person or institution
working in the field can afford to overlook it.
In recent decades govenynents -have become increasingly committed
and involved in trying to help solve many of these kinds of
problems. I believe that the community wants governments to
take a leading part, and there is indeed a great deal that
governments can do. One of the great challenges which governments.
face in this area is to make sure that the help they can offer
goes to the people who really need help and this obviously means
that governments must keep in touch with needs and problems as
they exist inL the real world.
We must at al. l costs avoid falling into the trap of thinking
that governme~ nts could ever replace the kind of work done by
voluntary agEncies in a community in which people care about
each other. Governments plainly need to be able to take advice
from those most closely associated with the needs of the
underprivileg~ ed, and at the same time be able to make their own
sound judgements about needs and priorities.
In coming to terms with the real problems in the most
productive way, there is obviously need for maximum co-operation
between all : levels of government and between the many providers
of community welfare and support services throughout our society.
It is probably inevitable that there will be differences of
emphasis in -the approaches taken by different groups or agencies,
but plainly every effort must be made to avoid any situation in
which different views are pursued to the extent where those
in need lose out.
* Over the last decade or so, the Ccinwealth Government has been ' moving into sane
. areas where it previously had no funding involvement, and dramatically increasing
its level of funding in others where Comonwealth funds pass either directly or
indirectly to voluntary organisations. These areas include
payments to or for state governments to support such services
as senior citizens centres or home care for the elderly, direct
subsidies to assist organisations in providing services like
accommodation for the aged, or sheltered workshop facilities
for disabled people. Total payments of this kind in the social
security and welfare area totall. ed some $ 24 million in 1971-72.
In this financial year it is estimated that they will be more
than $ 220 million.
Commonwealth support for the Mission comes through funding
from programrs as diverse as the Children's Services Program,
the Handicapped Persons Assistance Act, the Aged or Disabled / 3
3
Persons Homes Act, the Emergency Relief Program and the Homeless
Persons Assistance Act. Under this latter program, I understand
the. Minister for Social Security has recently approved a
capital grant of $ 540,000 towards the purchase of the three
buildings making up " The Opposition" youth crisis centre in
Kings Cross. This is an important initiative in an area of
present great concern, and it is perhaps one area for which your
founder, Benjamin Short, may not have even contemplated a need.
But in attempting to find solutions to the unfortunate problem
of youth homelessness, the Sydney City Mission has
demonstrated its relevance today just as much as it did 120
years ago. Youth homelessness and drug abuse, although certainly
not new problems in themselves, have increased in recent years
and are among today's most signficant social problems. That
the Sydney City Mission as an organisation has been able to
adapt its services to meet modern day need is, to my mind, a
strong argument for the community to continue its support for
the work of the Mission. In your letter of invitation to me
I noted that the Mission itself raises around $ 1.6 million annually
through self help, and that the support from the people of
Sydney amounts to $ 800,000 a year.
I understand that this year's 120th anniversary appeal is for
$ 1,200,000, for an impressively wide range of youth programs
and projects. I can think of no better demonstration of
appreciation by the people of Sydney for the work of the
Mission than to contribute this amount for this year's appeal.
I appreciate the opportunity you have given me today to pay
tribute to the work of the Sydney City Mission. I want
particularly to congratulate the Mission on its work and
its humanitarian services to the people of Sydney. I commend
the 120th Anniversary Appeal to them all, and I would urge
them.. to contribute to the Mission's appeal to
ensure that its excellent work may continue for another 120
years.
I