Parliamentary Inquiry Into Volunteering in Queensland

ABOUT THE INQUIRY

On 11 December 2024, the Legislative Assembly agreed to a motion that the Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee (committee) inquire into and report on volunteering in Queensland.

1. The terms of reference call upon the committee to inquire into and report to the Legislative Assembly by 18 September 2025 on:
   The current state of volunteering in Queensland and the value it contributes, including benefits to volunteers, organisations, communities and the State;
2. The views of volunteers, prospective volunteers and the volunteering sector on the current barriers to volunteering, including excessive legislative and regulatory burdens and other restrictions adversely limiting active volunteers;
3. The current experiences, motivations and challenges for volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations and their recommendations for addressing challenges and improving the volunteering experience;
4. The unique challenges experienced by people from diverse backgrounds, genders, age groups, abilities and locations, and opportunities to improve volunteering participation, accessibility and experience for these groups;
5. The extent, effectiveness and efficiency of current government support at all levels for the volunteering sector in Queensland and sustainable opportunities for improvement;
6. Opportunities for the Queensland Government to leverage all portfolios to support growth in volunteering across Queensland, including through hosting the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games;
7. Opportunities to increase emergency response volunteering in Queensland, including how to optimise the engagement, support and integration of volunteers assisting with natural disasters and community recovery;
8. First Nations peoples volunteering, including in remote and discrete communities, and the role of First Nations volunteering in Closing the Gap; and
9. Any other relevant matters, including academic and other diverse sources, and any relevant reports and reviews at the national level and across other states and territories.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information on the committee's inquiry will be published on this page in due course.  This includes information on how to provide a submission, relevant information papers and documents, and planned public proceedings.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The committee invites submissions on any aspect of the Inquiry, from all interested parties. Guidelines for making a submission to a parliamentary committee are available here: Guide to making a submission. Please ensure your submission meets these requirements.

Click here to make an online submission to the Inquiry. 

If you are unable to provide a written submission, please contact the secretariat to discuss other options.

The closing date for written submissions is Friday, 28 February 2025 at 5:00pm.

Submissions must include:

• the author’s full name
• if the submission is made on behalf of an organisation, the level of approval (e.g. a local branch, executive committee or national organisation), and
• at least two of the following:
• email address
• mailing address, and
• daytime telephone number.

Please ensure your submission includes the above or it may not be considered by the committee.

Please note: Your name and submission may be published on the committee’s inquiry webpage, which will mean it can be viewed on the internet. You can request for your name to be withheld from your published submission, or for both your name and your submission to be kept confidential (i.e. not published). Decisions about whether and how submissions are published are at the discretion of the committee.

PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS
Information relating to public proceedings will be available here in due course.

COMMITTEE'S REPORT
The committee is due to table its report on Friday, 18 September 2025. The report will be published here.

TIMELINE

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=267

See the Honourable Ann Leahy MP, Minister for Volunteers announce the INQUIRY INTO VOLUNTEERING - 
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Live-and-Archived-Broadcasts/video-on-demand/player/482e7e658b4247df92945b2572305acb?t=00%3A47%3A45