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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Media relese: ACT Government must allow community services flexibility in responding to COVID-19 crisis
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) is calling upon the ACT Government to reduce the administrative burden on community service providers as they respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The Chief Executive Officer of ACTCOSS, Dr Emma Campbell, said: “It is really important that community service providers continue to be funded and supported so they […]
COVID-19 Update No.1, 23 March 2020
ACTCOSS COVID-19 Advocacy ACTCOSS have been advocating on behalf of community organisations during this COVID-19 pandemic period through actions including: Regular engagement with the Chief Minister’s Office to ensure community organisations are included in territory-specific economic stimulus packages Letter to the ACT Government on community sector contracts calling for: A delay or relaxation of reporting […]
Media release: Report shows ACT community services already struggling before COVID-19 crisis
Government support for the not-for-profit (NFP) community service sector in the ACT is failing to keep up with demand for services, foster collaboration and allow for advocacy. This is a key finding from the Australian Community Sector Survey prepared by the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney in collaboration with the Councils of Social […]
Media release: Community COVID-19 rescue package welcomed
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has welcomed key elements of the ACT Government’s rescue and stimulus package announced today in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The package includes support for low-income people through rates and rebates, a cash payment to housing tenants, funding for community organisations at the front line and […]
Media release: Scrutiny of Government progress welcomed
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has welcomed last week’s public hearings on government services by the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body (ATSIEB). The annual hearings provide an opportunity for scrutiny of ACT Government programs by ATSIEB. ATSIEB was created to enable Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT […]
Media release: ACTCOSS welcomes ACT Wellbeing Framework
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) today welcomed the release of the ACT Wellbeing Framework by the ACT Government. ACTCOSS CEO Dr Emma Campbell said: “ACTCOSS has long seen the need for an agreed set of wellbeing goals to guide government decision making and to track our progress beyond standard economic indicators. “We welcome […]
Joint media release: ACTCOSS and YWCA Canberra call on federal government to mark International Women’s Day with a commitment to equal pay
ACTCOSS and YWCA Canberra joint media release Ahead of International Women’s Day, the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and YWCA Canberra are calling on the federal government to commit to equal pay for workers in the community sector. Almost a decade ago, a landmark decision by the Fair Work Commission found that work performed […]
Media release: Stimulus – focus on low-income and housing action
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) is urging the ACT Government to prioritise investment in social housing infrastructure when proposing to the federal government new measures to stimulate the economy. The federal government has written to state and territory governments, seeking projects as part of its economic stimulus package and asking for infrastructure to […]