Some non-government organisations in Queensland are struggling to survive, after the State Government slashed their funding.

Two of the affected groups have had to cut services to youth workers and marginalised women but the Newman Government says the move was necessary.

Stephanie Kay reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Some NGOs receive funding from the State Government and provide a range of services that the government doesn’t.

One such group is “Sisters Inside” which supports marginalised woman in the criminal justice system.

Budget cuts have now forced it to close its Townsville service.

Anne Warner, President Sisters Inside: “Well we were in the process of applying for that funding again, when they said no you’re not going to get it, immediately but of course, the needs of the women don’t stop at the end of the year, the needs of the women in Townsville don’t stop when the government changes.”

Sisters Inside was receiving $120,000 dollars a year.

Ms Warner says it doesn’t make sense to cut that funding as the service helps keep women out of jail, saving the $70,000 a year cost of keeping one woman in jail.

But the Department of Communities says Sisters Inside will be given the chance to discuss future funding.

It’s not only Sisters Inside who are struggling to cope with a lack of Queensland Government support, other organisations like Youth Affairs Network are also feeling the strain.

The organisation supports youth social workers across the state, it’s been told that all its funding will stop at the end of the year.

Siyavash Doostkhah, Director Youth Affairs Network Queensland: “The Premier of this state comes from an army background and he knows, if you class him as a general of the army and we talk about the youth workers as soldiers that are on the front line, these soldiers need training and networking to be able to do their job.”

The Government is defending the cuts as necessary to fixing the budget deficit they say was left by Labor.

Stephanie Kay, QUT News.