By PHILIP DONATO MEMBER FOR ORANGE
2025 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards - nominations open
Volunteers epitomise the spirit of community. Without volunteers many activities we enjoy, and services we benefit from or rely on would come to a grinding halt.
The valuable contributions our volunteers make to the community is not lost on me - in my work as your state representative, I see firsthand the impact of volunteers on community services, at local events, across sporting fields, and responding to emergency incidents.
I'm also fortunate to meet many volunteers in my travels throughout the electorate. To all of you I say thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
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The annual NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are an opportunity to say thank you to these volunteers by nominating them for an award.
Nominations for the awards can be made across seven separate categories, with recipients recognised at one of 25 regional ceremonies throughout the year.
If you know a volunteer who deserves recognition and you'd like to nominate them for an award, please visit the below link for more information and to complete a nomination.
Go on ... a few minutes work in completing a nomination is easy to do to recognise volunteers who spend countless hours, days and years for our benefit. Nominations close 5pm Friday 23 May 2025.
Visit:
https://www.volunteering.com.au/awards/about-the-awards/
#NSWVolunteerAwards
COST OF LIVING PRESSURES
Last week in NSW Parliament I delivered a speech on the persistent cost of living pressures. There’s been lots of discussion on this issue in recent years, but the situation hasn’t improved in any meaningful way.
If anything, it’s become even tougher. We all know that money doesn’t stretch as far as it once did.
A simple grocery run proves the point: Countless families are leaving the checkout with less food than they need, simply because they can’t afford to fill the trolley.
The rising cost of living is hitting every household. Whether it’s young parents trying to make ends meet, pensioners worrying about how to stay warm through winter, or small business owners struggling as expenses climb beyond their control, the reality is clear: life is getting more expensive, and there’s no sign of relief.
Wages have barely moved, yet the cost of essentials - food, electricity, fuel, rent and mortgages continue to climb.
Households are being stretched to the limit, forced into impossible choices between heating and eating, between covering essential medications or paying the rent, and between giving their children opportunities or merely surviving day-to-day.
A trip to the supermarket is now an exercise in sacrifice. Families that once shopped with confidence are cutting back on fresh food, switching to cheaper alternatives, or simply going without!
Staple items that used to be affordable now come with price tags that make weekly grocery bills a major source of stress and anxiety.
Power and gas bills are another burden that many just can’t keep up with. How is it right that, in a country rich in natural resources, people are being forced to ration electricity, dreading the next energy bill?
How is it fair that turning on an air conditioner in summer or a heater in winter is now a financial decision—a luxury rather than a basic expectation?
Despite years of warnings, governments haven’t done enough to get ahead of the curve. The cost-of-living crisis is not the fault of those struggling - it’s a series of policy failures that must be addressed with urgency and commitment.
I personally know people who’ve had to take on second jobs in the evenings and on weekends—just to stay ahead of the bills. This added pressure is not sustainable; it’s hurting families, communities, and individual well-being.
For the foreseeable future, cost-of-living relief must be at the centre of government decision-making. This issue isn’t going away, and neither should our focus on fixing it.
Immediate and meaningful action is essential, and the people of our state expect nothing less from those elected to represent them - it is in that vein I continue to raise this on the floor of parliament and to the attention of government.
