More than half of Australia's volunteer resource centres are set to close or have their services reduced after missing out on direct funding in this week's federal budget.
The National Network of Volunteer Resource Centres had asked for $3.4 million to keep 27 of its 45 centres afloat.
"Across Australia, [that] funding would recruit more than 35,000 volunteers," the network's spokesperson Brad Cooper said.
"Over 10 years this would be more than 300,000 volunteers."
Mr Cooper said the funding appeal had been denied, leaving the network in a "gutting" situation.
"In the midst of flooding across most of the eastern states, we see all the cries from the politicians in recognising the value and contribution of volunteers," he said.
"It is growing a bit old this lip service. We are getting a bit tired of it."
Mr Cooper said a funding model introduced by the previous federal government would be altered to give resource centres access to some extra money but it would only amount to 20 per cent of what was required.
"We anticipate the bulk of the 27 centres will disappear in terms of providing volunteering support by the end of the financial year," Mr Cooper said.
"On average, a volunteer resource centre will support at least 1,400 people to volunteer in their region.
"The flow-on effect of that is there will be some cost-shifting exercises where we will see local councils have to pick up some of those responsibilities."
Shutting the doors
Southern Volunteering in South Australia is expecting to close by June 2023, after 40 years in service.
Executive officer Melanie Kerton said its closure would leave a large gap for charities needing volunteers and would impact upon vulnerable people who relied on charitable services.
"Basically there is going to be nowhere for the community to go for a range of volunteer support services," Ms Kerton said.
"We have several testimonials from organisations saying, 'Our services are going to be impacted if we haven't got that constant supply of volunteers that you send to us'."
"If you're not there, we're going to struggle."
Ms Kerton said the National Network of Volunteer Resource Centres would continue to lobby the government for direct funding, but if the doors closed at Southern Volunteering, its expertise would be lost forever.
"It would cost so much to reinvent that," she said.
"We've been here nearly 40 years delivering these services, as have many volunteer resource centres across the country. They're embedded in communities."
Holding out hope
Volunteering Central Coast in New South Wales has seen a spike for its services since the pandemic.
It has supplied 1,500 volunteers to 100 charitable and not-for-profit organisations in the past year.
Executive officer Fiona Morrison was concerned vital services would collapse without the organisation's help.
"People are really doing it tough and it is those community services that might provide a food bank or support a playgroup that are going to be hit really hard by the lack of support finding the right volunteers," Ms Morrison said.
Volunteering Central Coast remained hopeful the federal government would find some funding in next year's April budget to offer it a lifeline.
"I am an eternal optimist, so that is what I am hoping for," Ms Morrison said.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said a number of organisations had "raised concerns about the changed funding arrangements that were put in place under the previous government".
"The Department of Social Services is engaging with state peak volunteering organisations and reviewing the implementation of the new model to understand what improvements can be considered," she said.
