Federal Member for Dawson, George Christensen, has won a reprieve from massive cost burdens imposed on Mackay community organisations by the Queensland Government.
The Bligh Labor Government made regulations in August that would force a range of Queensland community sector organisations, such as Kalyan Youth Service, into financial difficulty.
Mr Christensen said the regulations to increase employee payments as of October 1 were made retrospective, which would have seen community organisations obliged to pay, in some cases, more than $100,000 in back-pay.
“These organisations are government funded and are in no position to find that kind of money for back pay.” Mr Christensen said.
“They will be forced to sack staff, reduce hours, or cut back on services to the community.
“They will have enough trouble making the increased pays moving forward without an increase to their funding.”
Mr Christensen and fellow Liberal National Coalition members made representations to the Federal Government and moved to disallow the regulations.
The Minister for Workplace Relations, Chris Evans, confirmed today that the regulations would be repealed at the 11th hour.
“This is another case of a Labor Government not thinking through what damage their policy will do,” Mr Christensen said.
“They have finally listened to our concerns and guaranteed a repeal of the regulations would occur on September 30 – the day before the payments were to come into effect.”
Other services that could be affected:
Anglicare – North Queensland Limited
Bowen Community Council Inc
Burdekin Community Association Inc
Compass Whitsundays Inc
Domestic Violence Resource Service (Mackay and Region) Inc
George Street Neighbourhood Centre Association Inc
Girudala Community Co-Operative Society Limited
Kalyan Youth Service Inc
Mackay Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Alternative Care and Foster Care Service
Mackay Advocacy Inc
Mackay And District Respite Care Association Inc (sounds like they addressed it)
Mackay Family Care & Community Support Inc
Mackay Women’s Centre Inc
Mackay Youth Support Service Inc
Whitsunday Community Services Inc
Whitsunday Crisis and Counselling Service Inc