News and Media
Here you’ll find news, announcements, and media releases from ACTCOSS and the Gulanga Program, along with major community sector news.
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Joint media release – AFI and ACTCOSS welcome motion for free, accessible public transport in the ACT
Advocacy for Inclusion (AFI) and the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) welcome debate in the ACT Legislative Assembly today on free public transport. An Assembly motion proposes to make public transport free 24/7 for students, seniors, and all concession-card holders — expanding on current concessions and the “Fare-Free Fridays” initiative. “AFI and ACTCOSS have […]
Cost-of-living pressures a key driver in escalating demand for community services
ACT Council of Social Service Media Release The ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS) today released their factsheet – Demand for ACT community services: Findings from the 2025 State of the ACT Community Sector Survey, revealing a sharp rise in demand for community services across the Territory. “The findings of this survey reinforce what ACTCOSS and the […]
Anti-Poverty Week 2025
Media release FRIDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2025 Poverty and housing stress deepen in the ACT as Anti-Poverty Week draws to a close As Anti-Poverty Week (APW) 2025 ends, latest analysis shows poverty and housing stress worsening in the ACT for people on the lowest incomes. To mark the week, ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and […]
Frontline workers put the spotlight on poverty in the ACT for Anti-Poverty Week 2025
This week is Anti-Poverty Week, a time to confront the reality that poverty exists here in the ACT, just as it does across Australia. Held each year to spark national and local conversations, it’s an opportunity to recognise where poverty exists, and take action to end it. In the ACT, frontline community workers say the […]
ACTCOSS and ACT Shelter urge Assembly to make housing a human right
Today in the Legislative Assembly the second reading of the Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Bill is being tabled for debate. This marks a pivotal moment in the campaign to enshrine housing as a human right in the ACT’s Human Rights Act. ACTCOSS and ACT Shelter, alongside ACT service providers and community organisations, have long advocated […]
2025 ACT Budget: Increasing revenue necessary but missed opportunities to support people in need
After several years of financial headwinds, it comes as little surprise that the ACT Government had to increase revenue to continue to guarantee the services Canberrans expect. “Most of the new revenue appears to be broadly progressive, which is absolutely appropriate given that the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit people on low incomes the hardest,” […]
Unequal relief: As pressure eases for some, cost-of-living crisis extends for Canberra’s lowest income earners
ACTCOSS’s latest ACT Cost of Living Report reveals that easing inflation and recent interest rate cuts have done little to relieve acute financial stress faced by Canberra’s lowest-income households. ACTCOSS CEO, Dr Devin Bowles, said: “Improvements in the economy over the last year have disproportionately benefited middle and high-income earners, while those experiencing poverty continue to […]
Joint Submission calls for the continuation of the Rent Relief Fund
ACT community service organisations are urging the ACT Government to continue funding the Rent Relief Fund in a joint submission ahead of the 2025-26 ACT Budget. This vital program, set to end on 30 June 2025, provides financial relief to vulnerable private renters experiencing rental stress or severe financial hardship. Since its re-establishment […]