PM Transcripts

I am pleased to be here today in Campbelltown to announce four Stronger Family and Community Strategy projects for the Macarthur electorate worth more than $750 000.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul will receive funding of $149 199 over two years to continue and expand its Animation Program in seven high need housing estate communities in the Mt Druitt and Campbelltown areas.
The Animation Program will help residents to take control of their lives and make a difference in their communities. It develops groups of local leaders and gradually empowers them to plan for the community';s needs, then take action to achieve their goals.
Residents that have already participated in the program reported that it moves at a pace they are comfortable with, and provides the long-term support necessary to bring about permanent change in the attitude of the community.
The Centre for Popular Education at the University of Technology in Sydney will receive funding of $213 594 over 18 months to develop and implement a new leadership program for community workers throughout Sydney, with the initial program targeting Blacktown and Campbelltown.
Woodbine Neighbourhood Centre will receive funding of $20 000 for a four-month project to improve the facilities of the Campbelltown Skate Park and make it a more family-friendly environment. The project is a community-based initiative aimed at overcoming the increasing incidence of drug-related violence and anti-social behaviour in the park.
Uniting Care Burnside will receive funding of $393 000 over two years to run a families project focusing on children under 12 living in the Minto Housing Estate in Campbelltown. The project will provide around 900 families with access to regular activities for children and parents such as playgroups, formal leadership training, anti-violence and social skills programs.
These projects are great examples of how local communities can address local issues and take action to improve their circumstances. They respond to the complexities of contemporary Australian life by working with families and communities to find local solutions to local problems.
With over 500 projects funded since January 2001 at a cost of $67.4 million, the Stronger Family and Communities Strategy is making a positive impact on communities across Australia.
This Government will continue to assist communities to address their own problems, and play an active role in determining their own futures, because we know that the best solutions and the most permanent improvements are local ones.