By ALESHA CAPONE
OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten has condemned the Federal Government for terminating more than $600,000 in funding which had been set aside for volunteer and community groups across the West.
As revealed in Star last week, several organisations in the Brimbank, Melton, Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay municipalities are set to lose their funding from the Building Multicultural Communities Program (BMCP).
The BMCP grants had been announced in the national budget by the previous Labor Government.
However, the Federal Government has since sent letters to many clubs to say their funding has been cancelled.
Mr Shorten, who is also the Maribyrnong MP, said two groups in his electorate had originally been awarded funds under the BMCP.
The Vietnamese-Chinese Elderly Association in the West, based in St Albans, had been granted $5000 for IT and office equipment.
The Moonee Valley Toy Library has also been allocated almost $4000 to help set up a second branch.
“The Abbott Government cuts to fully budgeted and approved grants for community organisations are cruel and undermine the tremendous work of volunteer community organisations,” Mr Shorten said.
“The Abbott Government has betrayed community groups, many of whom work with the less fortunate and are integral to building inclusive and harmonious communities.”
“Funding was secured by organisations through a detailed application and fully funded grants process. Projects were selected because of the valuable social dividend the organisation provides our community.
Other groups which could have lost BMCP funding include the Albion Polish Club, a Vietnamese cultural and heritage centre in Sunshine North and the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association in Footscray.
Gellibrand MP Tim Watts has called on the Minister for Social Services, Kevin Andrews, to explain why the Federal Government has withdrawn the funding.
A spokesperson for Mr Andrews said the funds had been terminated because the “government is committed to reviewing spending to ensure it is aligned with priorities”.
