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Melina Bath warns neighbourhood houses face financial strain, risking essential services due to stagnant government funding

Hundreds rallied at Victoria Parliament urging Allan government to provide funding certainty for neighbourhood houses, protecting essential community services supporting vulnerable residents and preventing closures.

By news@gippsland - 2nd March 2026 - Back to News

A rally on the steps of parliament has called on the Allan government to deliver funding certainty for our Neighbourhood Houses that are struggling financially to keep their doors open. Hundreds of Neighbourhood House representatives from across the state converged on the Victoria State Parliament for Neighbourhood House Victoria’s Day of Action to make their voices heard to the government.

A Day of Action highlighted Neighbourhood Houses’ funding lagging behind CPI, putting essential services and programs at risk, affecting over 185,000 Victorians, especially in regional communities

Neighbourhood houses struggle

The Nationals’ Melina Bath said Neighbourhood Houses are struggling to keep the lights on with operating costs climbing and stagnated state government funding that’s failed to keep pace with CPI over many years. Labor’s inability to maintain funding for Neighbourhood Houses in line with CPI is placing essential support services at imminent risk during a cost of living crisis.

"The rising cost of living is impacting grassroots community organisations by increasing their overheads and driving demand for emergency food assistance, housing support and crisis counselling higher. If Labor does not deliver sustainable funding to our Neighbourhood Houses, services will halt, social inclusion will decline and vulnerable people will go without," she said.

Protect neighbourhood houses

Ms Bath said each week more than 185,000 Victorians access Neighbourhood House services in their local communities - many of these are in regional Victoria where access to support is most limited. "Neighbourhood House staff and volunteers are working incredibly hard to support our communities but without adequate funding, programs will be cut and services reduced and some face closures."

"The Nationals are calling on the Allan Labor government to guarantee their future by delivering funding certainty as our regional and rural towns cannot afford to lose their local Neighbourhood Houses," concluded Ms Bath.

Pictures from Melina Bath MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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