Last week NACCHO CEO and Lead Convener of the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks organisations Pat Turner gave evidence on Day 4 of the Disability Royal Commission Public hearing 25 – The Operation of the NDIS for First Nations people with disability in remote and very remote communities. Click to access the public hearing here.

The Digital Technology in Not-for-Profit Sector survey is the sector's most comprehensive look at technology use across Australia and New Zealand, from information systems to staff capability, security and emerging technologies. The final report, to be released in late 2022, provides a benchmark for all not-for-profit organisations to ensure they are using technology in the best way possible to achieve their mission. Click here to participate in this year's survey.

Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) have announced the 8 First Nations people who have joined FYA's First Nations Governance Group. Anton, Arielle, Caroline, Christopher, Hope, Leyla, Madeline and Talicia will bring their diverse skills and experience to advise FYA's work across strategies, projects and protocols relating to young First Nations people and their communities. Click here to learn more.

The Benevolent Society and leading impact organisation Social Outcomes have launched an Impact Report with its new national Early Years Impact Measurement Framework, which measures the long-term social and economic value of early childhood integrated support services for disadvantaged families. Click here to learn more.

There are 2.65 million unpaid carers in Australia and at least 235,000 of these are young carers. The Young Carer Bursary Program offers bursaries of $3000 a year to support eligible young carers to continue their education. Applications close 13 September 2022. Click here for more information.

The Climate Council’s new report A fight for survival: Tackling the climate crisis is key to security in the Blue Pacific has shown that to earn the trust of the rest of the region, Australia will need to show Pacific countries that it is serious about climate action. The window to avoid catastrophic impacts is closing fast. Global emissions must be halved by 2030, which means that wealthy nations like Australia should be planning for deeper emissions cuts this decade. Click to learn more.

"Australia's housing crisis has reached fever pitch. Our ten-year Rental Affordability Snapshot shows the new Government is inheriting a true emergency," said Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers. "A person on JobSeeker, the Disability Support Pension, or Youth Allowance can afford 0% of rentals. An Age Pensioner can afford less than 1%. These numbers have been at rock bottom for the past ten years. The biggest change we've seen is for people earning the minimum wage. Across the board, affordability for workers on the minimum wage has halved. A couple with two parents working full-time can afford just 15% of rentals, down from 31% ten years ago. That includes rent assistance and tax benefits. This new Federal Government has a chance to stop this crisis from getting even worse - and to take action to make housing more affordable."

The roadmap calls for:

• A ten-year regime of tax and policy reform
  
• A twenty-year program to expand social and affordable housing
  
• All new developments to include affordable housing
  
• A trial of secure leasing models for mainstream tenancies
  
• Reforms and increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance
  
• Nationally consistent protections for renters.

A new headspace campaign shining a light on the mental health of young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds is encouraging young people from all cultures to seek support in tough times.

The recently launched Strength in my roots video series and online resources share the stories of three migrant and refugee young people, all of whom have lived experiences of mental ill-health. A family member supporting their migrant young person also speaks out as part of the campaign.

By sharing their journeys publicly, they hope to break down stigma in their communities and reassure other young people from diverse backgrounds that there is no shame in reaching out for help.

Australian Human Rights Commission have launched a new iteration of the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign, calling on Australians who do not have lived experience of racism to reflect on its causes and do more to challenge it.

The Racism. It Stops With Me campaign invites us to ask ourselves important questions about the role of racism in shaping society, the way we see ourselves and how we interact with one another.

• Join Settlement Services International virtually or in person for the launch of the latest phase of the Foundations for Belonging research which explores insights on the impacts of the pandemic for newly arrived refugees in Australia. Hear new data that was collected in late 2021 as the pandemic impacted communities in Australia and around the globe, with a focus on family separation and reunion among refugees, as well as actions that governments, policymakers, service providers and civil society can pursue to strengthen their contribution to settlement and integration - 16 August 2022 - Click here for more information and to register
  
  

• The 2020 signing of a renewed set of Closing the Gap targets, saw a shift in focus towards a National Agreement on Closing the Gap, and with a more inclusive governance model, it is critical that the health sector raise its ambitions for our First Nations Australians. The Closing the Gap on Indigenous Health Forum, presented by the Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW will bring together Indigenous experts from across the country to discuss solutions that will help progress the Closing the Gap agenda, particularly as it relates to the health sector - 13-15 September 2022 - Click here for more information and to register

• Want to learn how to book doctors appointments online, see immunisation and health records, or decide who can access online healthinformation? Discover how using secure and reliable online services can make managing health and wellbeing easier by joining a free Your Health in Your Hands support session. Your Health in Your Hands gives practical skills to feel confident and safe managing health online. There’s a wide range of topics available - from how to use My Health Record to finding health reliable information and using telehealth appointments. Your Health in Your Hands is a Good Things Foundation initiative which is open to everyone in Australia through free webinars, online group support sessions, and in-person support is also available at selected locations. Click here to learn more.

Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO, featured on panel

Full Stop Australia CEO Hayley Foster featured

People with Disability Australia President Samantha Connor, featured on panel

Advocates weigh in on a new plan for ending violence against women.
WWDA CEO Carolyn Frohmader says she’s willing to wait a little longer to get the framework right. "We need to make sure that those support services... are actually inclusive of everyone" https://t.co/5ZvDRrksJr pic.twitter.com/1moUYJhQLY

— WWDA (@WWDA_AU) July 18, 2022