We have been humbled by the support shown by members, individual volunteers, community organisations, and members of the Legislative Assembly for our campaign to reverse the introduction of the $11 fee for volunteers to access a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card.

Our campaign has been successful, with Government announcing on Friday 18 July 2025 that it will no longer introduce the fee. Further, Government will work with VolunteeringACT, ACTCOSS, and other key partners on a systemic review of the WWVP Scheme.

Volunteers matter and should be respected. For us – like you– our opposition to the introduction of this fee is a matter of principle regarding the value of volunteering. This is the message we have presented as we have engaged directly with relevant Ministers and Access Canberra. We acknowledge – and always have – that the protection of vulnerable people is paramount and a priority for maintaining safe and respectful organisations for everyone. We also know that the Scheme is oversubscribed with some card holders in roles that do not necessarily need a card. In many ways, the over subscription issue is a credit to the ACT, as it demonstrates the importance that volunteers and organisations place on protecting vulnerable people.

Thank you to every member who shared our social media posts, passed on our stakeholder pack to their own networks, or contacted us to give feedback and offer support.

Next steps

We will work closely with Access Canberra on the proposed review of the Scheme and are committed to being part of productive conversations between Government, ACTCOSS, and other partners to find solutions to the systemic issues within the Scheme. This continues work we have undertaken in partnership with ACTCOSS and Access Canberra over the last couple of years and identified as an action in the ACT Volunteering Strategy Action Plan 2024–2027.

We look forward to further engaging with you on this important piece of work.

This is a win for the 279,000 volunteers in our city and the organisations who involve them: your voices have been heard! Thank you – as always – for your support.

If you have questions or concerns, reach out to us on policy@volunteeringact.org.au or call us on 02 6251 4060.