Community groups have been left out in the cold by Prime Minster Julia Gillard and her proposed Carbon Tax, according to Roy Powell from the Armidale Men’s Shed.
Mr Powell supports the need to address climate change and reduce carbon, however, believes that community groups like the Men’s Shed have been forgotten by the Gillard Government who have announced a raft of compensation measures to alleviate some of the financial stress placed on families, business and pensioners but have neglected community organisations like his.
“There is a very big community service sector out there, ranging from things like the Men’s Shed through to local community halls, showgrounds and organisations like St Vincent De Paul.
“During the recent 20 billion handout to lessen the effect of the Global Financial Crisis very little of this came to the community sector,” said Mr Powell.
“It looks like community groups again will have little compensation for the Carbon Tax especially in the increases in electricity. In operating the Men’s Shed it costs us a couple of thousand a year in electricity and, with the already 20 per cent increase planned for electricity, we will again be paying on top of the 20 per cent increase, more for the Carbon Tax,” said Mr Powell.
“This is in a sense a bit of a snub to all the volunteers in the multitude of organisations that will now have to find the money for the extra costs to pay the bills, with no-one to help support them,” he said.
Mr Powell, like many Australians, has looked at the Clean Energy Future website and can see nothing in the way of compensation for community groups. He believes that the quality enrichment of a community is directly related to the people’s involvement in volunteering with various organisations in that community.
“I have written a letter to Tony Windsor asking him what the situation is.
“At this stage I have received a reply that he will get back to me on the issue,” said Mr Powell.
Story: Jo Harrison
