Office of Community Sector Safe Under Victorian Coalition

The Victorian Office of the Community Sector is expected to be safe under the new Coalition Government.

The Office for the Community Sector has recently been working to draw up the common funding framework allowing organisations that receive money from multiple government departments to sign the one funding agreement.

Under the Directorship of Lynne Wannan the OCS has been talking with the Federal Government about the framework and its possible national implications.  

The new Liberal Coalition also announced its ministerial line up – giving the role of Community Services, Mental Health and Women's Issues to Liberal stalwart, Mary Wooldridge.

The Member  for Doncaster held the position of Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Women's Affairs, Drug Abuse, Community Services & Ageing in Opposition.

Prior to being elected to Parliament in 2006 Wooldridge was CEO of The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA). She led a significant organisational change which re-focussed the Foundation’s work to promote young people as the key decision makers in all aspects of their work and governance.  She won a national award for this leadership and was also a finalist in the Telstra Business Women awards. 

Jan Owen, the FYA’s current CEO, congratulated Minister Woolridge on her appointment saying her organisation is looking forward to a close working relationship with her in this new position. 

Owen says she has no doubt the new Minister will make a valuable contribution to the needs of children and young people across Victoria.

Previously Mary Wooldridge was Senior Adviser to the Federal Minister for Industry, worked in New York with McKinsey & Company and with Consolidated Press Holdings in Sydney.

She has a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Melbourne. 

Wooldridge is a Director of The Otis Foundation, a Bendigo based breast cancer charity founded by her husband Andrew Barling.  

Wooldridge is one of four women named in the Coalition line-up which includes:

Ted Baillieu – Premier and minister for the Arts

Peter Ryan – Deputy Premier

David Davis – health minister; and ageing minister;
Louise Asher – tourism and major events; and innovation, services and small business minister;
Robert Clark – attorney-general and finance minister;
Matthew Guy – planning 
Martin Dixon – education 
Andrew McIntosh – corrections; crime prevention; minister responsible for establishing the new anti-corruption commission;
Terry Mulder – roads; public transport;
Wendy Lovell – housing; children and early childhood development
Richard Dalla-Riva – employment and industrial relations;
Hugh Delahunty – sport and recreation; veterans' affairs;
Peter Hall – higher education and skills; minister responsible for the teaching profession;
Dennis Napthine – ports, regional cities, racing and major projects
Michael O’Brien – gaming; consumer affairs; energy and resources;
Jeanette Powell – local govt; aboriginal affairs
Gordon Rich-Phillips – assistant treasurer; technology; aviation industry;
Ryan Smith – environment and climate change; youth affairs
Peter Walsh – agriculture and food security, water
Kim Wells – treasurer
Mary Wooldridge – mental health; womens affairs; community services
Nicholas Kotsiras – multicultural affairs and citizenship