ACTCOSS welcomes ACT Government’s 2022/23 increase in funding for the ACT’s community sector

Media Release

The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has welcomed the ACT Government’s announcement of a 4.43% increase in funding for the ACT’s community sector for the year 2022/23.

The increase is slightly behind the increased wage costs of 4.6% and the additional 0.5% superannuation contribution that the community sector must cover next financial year. However, the ACT Government has responded to advocacy from ACTCOSS and the community sector by adjusting the formula it uses to calculate funding increases to better recognise rising wages.

ACTCOSS Chief Executive Officer, Dr Emma Campbell said: “While we welcome this increase and the improvement to the formula for calculating funding increase there is still much to do.

“Some of our organisations will have to consider reducing services as their costs including wages, utilities, rents, insurances and transportation fuel increase will not be fully covered by the funding increase.

“We welcome the ACT Government’s commitment to work with the community sector to implement recommendations in ACTCOSS’s Counting the Costs report which was released in February this year. The report highlights the chronic underfunding and growing demand experienced by the ACT community sector and the measures that are required to make change.

“In the meantime, we welcome this first step of improving the formula for calculating indexation so that funding increases more closely reflect the cost increases faced by the ACT community sector.”

Dr Campbell continued: “We also call on the Australian Government to provide adequate funding increases so that the ACT’s federally funded services can continue to support Canberrans facing vulnerability or disadvantage.

“We warmly welcome wage increases – but funding must keep up with these costs.

“Women make up more nearly 80% of the community sector workforce. Increases in minimum and award wages play an important step towards reducing the pay gap between men and women.

“Community sector workers have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 response, and they deserve salaries that reflect their contribution to the community and that enable them to live in Canberra with dignity and security.” Dr Campbell concluded.

ACTCOSS advocates for social justice in the ACT and represents not-for-profit community organisations. Follow us @ACTCOSS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

For more information or comment, please contact

Dr Emma Campbell, CEO, ACTCOSS, on 0424 910 617 or 02 6202 7200