Event details
Bring Your Bills
Springvale City Hall, 18 Grace Park Avenue, Springvale
Tuesday 24 February
10.30am–3pm
Free event, media welcome
More than 500 people are expected to attend South East Community Links’ upcoming Bring Your Bills event at Springvale City Hall on Tuesday 24 February 2026, making it the largest in the program’s history.
The spike in demand comes as households face rising energy costs, back-to-school expenses, December credit card debt and the impact of recent interest rate rises.
South East Community Links Chief Executive Officer Peter McNamara said February is when the pressure hits hardest.
“Credit card bills land, school costs stack up and higher interest rates start to flow through,” Mr McNamara said.
“Even small increases in repayments or utilities can tip families into crisis. We have no doubt this will be our biggest event to date.”
“With economists predicting further interest rate rises in 2026, we’re expecting our Bring Your Bills events to continue to reach record numbers of people,” he said.
In 2025, Bring Your Bills helped to address $8.1 million in debt and bills across four events. This included $350,000 in debts waived and $550,000 in grants and concessions. More than 1,200 people attended, with over half unable to pay their bills. Seventy-nine per cent had not contacted their provider before seeking help.
Head of Financial Wellbeing, Rachna Madaan Bowman, said that more attendees are working and that middle-income earners are struggling to keep up.
“We’re seeing more people who are working, sometimes in two jobs, and still finding they can’t keep up with rising costs. This is no longer just about unemployment, it’s about affordability,” Ms Madaan Bowman said.
“Seventy-five per cent of people are asking for help for the first time.”
“Language can be a major barrier, so we provide interpreters in Vietnamese, Urdu, Pashto, Dari and Chinese to make sure people feel confident getting support,” Ms Madaan Bowman said.
Bring Your Bills brings together more than 25 partners including banks, energy and water providers, Centrelink, ombudsman services, legal support, councils and free financial counsellors, all under one roof.
“We want the community to know they’re not alone. Early help makes a real difference,” Mr McNamara said.
Please note: No payments will be made toward bills on the day.
Event details
Bring Your Bills
Springvale City Hall, 18 Grace Park Avenue, Springvale
Tuesday 24 February
10.30am–3pm
Free event, media welcome
About us:
South East Community Links is a leading community services organisation serving one of Australia's most diverse and multicultural regions in south east Melbourne, for more than 50 years. We promote social and financial inclusion with the belief that every person counts and every system should be fair. We are the largest provider of financial counselling to multicultural communities across Victoria. More information: www.secl.org.au
Contact details:
Renee Hancock on 0417 055 299 or [email protected]
Peter McNamara on 0437 758 899 or [email protected]
