SSI congratulates incoming Queensland Government 

Leading non-profit SSI congratulates David Crisafulli on becoming Queensland’s 41st Premier and the Liberal National Party on forming government, following this past weekend’s state election. 

SSI has operated in Queensland since 1984, initially under the name Access Community Services. Through support in settlement, education and training, health and wellbeing, and dedicated commitment to community engagement, our organisation has been connecting people with opportunities and creating a place of belonging in Queensland for 40 years. 

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said it was heartening to see the Crisafulli government’s commitments to strengthening these communities, including allocating $5 million to Multicultural Connects Grant to build or upgrade community and sport facilities. 

“This is an area of particular benefit for young people, something we see through our Multicultural Sports and Community Centre, which has a focus on disengaged youth, mental health and social cohesion. 

“These spaces bring people together, providing a hub where community members can come together around a shared interest.” 

Ms Roumeliotis also commended the incoming government for taking steps to strengthen Queensland’s vibrant community services sector, including by matching Labor’s commitment of $1.5 million in funding over four years to the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland. 

“In addition, the commitment to introduce new minimum contract terms for community sector contractual arrangements will ensure greater stability and certainty for our sector,” she said. 

As a leading provider of human services designed to overcome inequality, SSI also welcomes the incoming government’s focus on the needs of children and young people. 

This includes a $27 million professional foster carer pilot for children with complex needs; a new carer supervision model for residential out-of-home care and broader reform of the system; and an early intervention plan to keep at-risk teens out of crime. 

Ms Roumeliotis acknowledged the efforts of the outgoing Miles Government to support communities to overcome inequality, including increasing funding to the Logan Maternity Hub, which supports refugee and migrant women through pregnancy and the first few months of motherhood. 

“The outgoing government also funded a critical domestic and family violence (DFV) program, 99 Steps, which supports culturally and linguistically diverse women experiencing DFV.  

“At present, this program only operates in Logan, but we hope that with continued government support, this can be expanded to other communities with high migrant and refugee cohorts,” she said. 

SSI looks forward to working with the new Premier and his Government to continue to deliver and grow the services our joint constituencies’ need in order to overcome inequality and realise their full potential.