Major Church Providers Welcome The Government's $42 Billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan

Australia's major church providers of social services have welcomed the Rudd Government's second stimulus package released today.

The emphasis of today's announcement is on saving jobs, building social housing and infrastructure and on payments to low income earners.

The package includes:

• $12.7 billion direct payments to low income households
• $6.4 billion investment in social housing
• $3.8 billion in energy efficiency measures, and
• $14.7 billion spent on schools with an emphasis on community infrastructure.

Commenting shortly after the release of the package in Canberra today, Anglicare Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, the Salvation Army and UnitingCare Australia said the significant investment in social housing through the delivery of 20,000 additional social housing units and the upgrading of existing stock will make a real difference on the ground for Australians struggling to meet their accommodation needs.

We welcome the stimulus to jobs across Australia and the targeting of infrastructure dollars to homes and local community facilities through improving the energy efficiency of Australia's houses.

We also welcome the targeting of community resources to schools, which will create jobs and supply facilities that can be used by the whole community.

The payments package is well targeted and will help Australians already struggling to make ends meet.

The group has today released a discussion paper: Averting the Social Impact of the Global Financial Crisis, following the major church providers Summit in November and last week's subsequent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.

The recommendations outlined in the paper are for the next steps as Government moves beyond immediate stimulus packages to the longer-term needs of vulnerable Australians and of the social services agencies who serve them.

The paper, which is a framework for an ongoing discussion, has been distributed to all Senators and Members of the Federal Parliament today.

A copy of the discussion paper is available at the following websites: http://www.catholicsocialservices.org.au/system/files/Churches_+response_GFC.pdf
http://www.anglicare.asn.au/
http://www.unitingcare.org.au/

The major church social service provider networks provide the majority of social services in Australia. Spokespeople include:

• Kasy Chambers, Executive Director, Anglicare Australia
• Frank Quinlan, Executive Director, Catholic Social Services Australia
• David Eldridge, Australia Southern Territory, Salvation Army
• Lin Hatfield Dodds, National Director, Uniting Care Australia

3 February 2009