Thursday 12 May 2022

Community Contributions

From the Heart launched national TV advertisement campaign for a referendum on a Voice in 2023. Click here to watch the ad.

In the lead-up to the 2022 election, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre offered the three major parties the opportunity to confirm where they stand on issues that matter for refugees. Their scorecard reflects the assessment of each major party's policies against four key issues: freedom, protection, safety and humanity. Click here to see the scorecard and ask candidates to vote with refugees.

Settlement Council of Australia has released its 2022 Election Platform, listing 6 key areas crucial to the settlement sector at this election. Click here to access the document and read the key asks.

CHOICE'S latest Consumer Pulse survey has found anxiety about the cost of food and groceries at its highest level in seven years, with over four in five households (83%) reporting concern. This is an increase of 19% in the past year alone. Click here to learn more.

Ahead of the Federal Election, the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network Australia (MYAN) has launched its Election Policy Platform outlining the key issues that require immediate action from an incoming government. Click here to access the platform and read through MYAN's election priorities. 

Council of Single Mothers and their Children are conducting a survey to help capture the voice of single mothers across Australia. Participants will help advocacy efforts and help challenge stereotypes of single mother families. Click here for more information and to participate in the survey if suitable.

Community Conversations

$4.4 billion gap in funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

An Equity Economics report commissioned, and released today, by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has identified a $4.4 billion gap in Commonwealth, State and Territory Government and private health expenditure.

The report’s findings are alarming and highlight some of the obstacles to improving the health and life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Conservative estimates indicate there is a gap of $5,042 in health expenditure per Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person.

Pat Turner, CEO of NACCHO, said, ‘It is no wonder that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to live lives 8-9 years shorter than other Australians. It is no wonder that our children are 55 times more likely to die of rheumatic heart disease than non-Aboriginal children.’

Click here to learn more

Anglicare Australia releases Rental Affordability Snapshot

In the midst of the 2022 Federal Election campaign Anglicare Australia is calling on all parties and candidates to act on housing affordability. The call is made as Anglicare Australia releases its annual Rental Affordability Snapshot.

The Snapshot surveyed 45,992 rental listings across Australia and found that: 720 rentals (2%) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage; 312 rentals (1%) were affordable for a person on the Age Pension; 51 rentals (0%) were affordable for a person on the Disability Support Pension; 7 rentals, (0%) all share houses, were affordable for a person on JobSeeker; 1 share house (0%) was affordable for a person on Youth Allowance.

Learn more and read the snapshot

Caring Costs Us: The economic impact on lifetime income and retirement savings of informal carers

Carers Australia and the National Carer Network commissioned the 'Caring Costs Us: The economic impact on lifetime income and retirement savings of informal carers' report (Caring Costs Us Report).

The report, completed by economic consulting practice Evaluate, has found that Australian carers on average, forego $392,500 in lost wages to age 67 and miss out on a further $175,000 in superannuation.

Click here to learn more about the report
 

Community Sector Events

  • Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) is hosting a free, online forum for our community to hear from Australia's major parties what they are promising children and young people with disability in the Federal Election - 18 May 2022 - Click here for more information and to register
  • Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) is hosting a series of Election Forums, allowing participants to ask the major parties what they will be doing for young people if elected to government - 12-18 May 2022 - Click here to learn more and to register
  • FECCA 2022: Advancing Multicultural Australia is the premier conference on multiculturalism, diversity & inclusion, and migration. The conference will host multicultural communities, policy makers, service providers, academics and many more, over two big days of interesting presentations, speakers and topics - 16-17 June 2022 - Click here to register and learn more

Community Sector Resources

  • A range of COVID-19 resources list below have been developed by the Australian Government Department of Health specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Click here to learn more.

COSS Corner

The latest news from State and Territory Councils of Social Service

TasCOSS recently provided evidence and recommendations to the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings. TasCoss brought to the attention of the Commission concerns about the speed and thoroughness of the Government's reforms of the child safety system and response to recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse. Read TasCOSS’s submission.

The immense risks and impacts of climate change were starkly highlighted at SACOSS' Building a Climate Resilient Community Sector conference last week, and the community sector peak body is calling for urgent State Government action in response, including investment in a disaster resilience and risk reduction fund, among other measures.

Today the WA Government will announce its 2022-23 State Budget. Tomorrow, joined by members of the Department of Treasury, WACOSS will host a State Budget Briefing to analyse the impact of the budget on vulnerable people, community services organisations and the broader community. Click here to register for WACOSS State Budget Briefing.

The team at VCOSS have been working hard to break down the detail of the 2022 Victorian Budget. Take a look at the online 'Breaking down the 2022 Victorian Budget' hub for snapshots and full analysis. 

NCOSS has co-signed a Joint Letter with Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, to remove barriers that prevent people with disability from exercising their right to vote. See the Open Letter and Joint Media Release here.

NTCOSS has noted that the NT Budget fails its NT community sector. NTCOSS CEO Deborah Di Natale says the Aboriginal Justice Agreement will not be able to meet its aims under a budget of $13M over four years outlined in budget papers. NTCOSS continues to call on the NT Government to significantly increase funding needed in youth support services, that help to keep children on the right track. Click here to read the full Budget response.

During national Neighbourhood Centre Week, QCOSS and Neighbourhood Centres Queensland (NCQ) are jointly calling for an urgent increase in funding for NCCs. QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh said for many people experiencing vulnerability and poverty, the state’s 143 NCCs were their first port of call. Click here to read more.

Canberrans living on low incomes are being hit hardest by the biggest increase in cost of living in over 20 years. More people are seeking support from ACT community sector organisations due to the rising cost of living and declining income support. These are among the stark findings of the 2022 ACT Cost of Living Report released last week by the ACTCOSS.

Members in the Media

Centrelink's partner income test is leaving some lower-income couples feeling they'd be better off apart

Economic Justice Australia featured

Read here

Thousands call for homeless help, but phones ring out as staff are swamped

The Salvation Army featured

Read here

As a result of COVID-19, more people are experiencing food insecurity — and community services are stepping in to help

Foodbank Australia featured

Read here
 

Feature Tweet

We're proud to be one of more than fifty women’s safety and gender equity organisations to speak out against the recent targeting of trans women in the federal election campaign. @madelinehislop via @WomensAgenda | @FairAgenda https://t.co/CRBLze9dDK

— Full Stop Australia (@FullStopAus) May 10, 2022
Click here to see full tweet
 

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the country on which we work, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

We recognise the right of all First Peoples around the country to self-determination.

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