OPINION: Why volunteers walk away

Celebrating National Volunteers Week in the last edition of The Euroa Gazette presented a range of areas in our community where volunteers are vital for organisations to even exist. Despite the cheerful reasons and satisfaction that everyone shared about their service, an underlying theme was the growing fear of over-regulation and paperwork stopping people from putting their hands up. Sadly, two local contributions to Euroa have closed shop for that very reason. By FRANK YORK We are over-governed and over-regulated. We have too many people telling us what to do and how we should do it. I have recently witnessed two examples of how this heavy hand of governance has filtered down to our own community, which largely operates on the goodwill of volunteer and service groups across the shire. One of our local service clubs has for many years kept the roadside approach reserves to Euroa clear of rubbish. These volunteers have, in their own time, walked many kilometres along roadsides picking up litter thrown from cars, a back-breaking task that delivers no reward other than the satisfaction of helping to keep our town clean. The volunteers have always prioritised safety, though some may argue it is a job for council. This year, as the Euroa Lions Club planned the first of its annual roadside clean-ups, the task has been burdened with significant regulatory and compliance requirements. Not only the shire and VicRoads, but now the Keep Australia Beautiful Council are involved, making the task of volunteers virtually impossible. Before one piece of litter is picked up, a 30-page permit and compliance document must be completed. It requires personal details of board members, training plans, and prescribed roles for volunteers. All this just to pick up roadside litter. It is not surprising the volunteers have decided they can no longer carry out this service. Volunteers are not getting any younger, and this added bureaucracy is the final straw. We can only hope the shire now fills the gap and takes responsibility for roadside cleanliness. The second example involves a service club raffle for something as simple as a trailer load of firewood. These raffles are a feature of country towns in winter and often help those needing support to stay warm. What was once a simple street stall raffle has now been overtaken by multiple permits, time limits, and compliance requirements from various agencies. Once again, volunteers have decided the work involved outweighs the benefit to the community. This is what our world has come to. Our bloated governments, at all levels, and the public ‘servants’ tasked with administering these systems are taking away the essence of volunteering and community service. Activities performed for years are no longer viable because of excessive rules and regulation. These are simple examples that show how governance has imposed controls over what we can and can’t do. The result is a community that will be poorer for it. It is a very sad outcome, but should we accept it? Frank York, Sheans Creek