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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Small but welcome price relief for ACT electricity consumers as gas price rise looms
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has today welcomed modest price relief for ACT electricity consumers announced by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC). Today’s announcement will see a 1.25% reduction in ActewAGL’s regulated retail electricity standing offers for small customers in 2022-23 beginning 1 July 2022. This will translate to an annual […]
Community, business and housing leaders call on ACT Government to address housing crisis in next Budget
Joint media release, ACTCOSS, Canberra Business Chamber, Property Council ACT, ACT Shelter and the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA). Leaders of Canberra’s community, housing and business sectors have today called on the ACT Government to address the ACT’s housing crisis and commit to further action in the 2022-23 ACT Budget. In recent weeks, the ACT […]
Canberrans on low incomes hit hardest by cost of living rises as income supports removed
Canberrans living on low incomes are being hit hardest by the biggest increase in cost of living in over 20 years. Far from sharing in an economic and community recovery, 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 […]
Social housing boost needed under ACT Government’s land supply and release program
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) will today give evidence to the ACT Legislative Assembly Committee inquiring into the ACT Government’s land supply and release program saying that more needs to be done to tackle the ACT’s housing crisis. In its testimony, ACTCOSS will call for more investment and an increased release of land […]
Survey shows community sector underfunded, overworked and underpaid
The report ‘Carrying the Costs of the Crisis‘, undertaken by the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney for the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and the State and Territory Councils of Social Service, including the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), explores the experiences of thousands of community sector workers, service leaders (CEOs […]
Implementation of prison Blueprint for Change recommendations must engage community
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) today acknowledged the release of the Blueprint for Change staffing review of the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) and welcomed some of its key recommendations. The ACT Corrective Services Blueprint for Change Oversight Committee, chaired by Christine Nixon AO, APM, was engaged to make a broad examination of staffing […]
ACTCOSS renews its call for cost-benefit analysis on free public transport in the ACT
ACTCOSS’s call follows a motion introduced in the Legislative Assembly today by Mark Parton MLA calling for bus travel to be made free in the ACT for six weeks. A similar scheme has been implemented in Tasmania until the end of April to help with rising fuel prices and to ease congestion. ACTCOSS CEO Dr […]
Barr Government commits to review of housing relocation program
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) today congratulated the Barr Government on its commitment to review the implementation of the Growing and Renewing housing program. At a meeting with ACTCOSS on Friday, Minister for Housing Yvette Berry MLA and Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services, Rebecca Vassarotti MLA agreed to review the process by […]