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A Malinauskas Labor Government will restore funding to regional Local Environment Centres, after their funding was cut by the Marshall Liberal Government.
Community-run and largely volunteer-based environmental education centres across South Australia are being forced into heartbreaking decisions to close their doors for good, after the Marshall Liberal Government decided not to provide ongoing funding.
The South Coast Environment Centre in Victor Harbor has recently closed its doors, and several other centres are deciding their fate, with the future not looking bright for many. Other centres at Mount Pleasant, Willunga and Gawler have also raised concerns about their ongoing viability.
Funding was previously provided through ongoing grants by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Natural Resource Management Board, which was split into several new Landscapes Boards under changes made by Environment Minister David Speirs.
The centres have been told that once-off funding for this financial year will not be repeated. Labor will reverse this decision and provide ongoing funding to the current centres.
These Centres provide critical environmental education programs at the grassroots level, including to thousands of school children, and are community hubs where locals can meet, learn practical skills and encourage others to live more sustainably.
Main photo: Leon Bignell, MP, Member for Mawson with Susan Close MP, Shadow Environment Minister.
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