Advocacy Publications

The ACT Council of Social Service has submitted its 2026-27 Budget priorities, which are informed by the ACTCOSS State of the Sector report, published today in full. We call on the ACT Government to invest in Canberra’s social infrastructure and protect those experiencing hardship. “We recognise that the ACT Government is under financial pressure, however, there is no point […]

On 22 December 2025, ACTCOSS released the State of the Sector Report. Download the full report below. In March 2025, ACTCOSS undertook its first ACTCOSS-led ACT-focused survey to provide a detailed picture of the health and sustainability of the local community sector, building on previous national work by ACOSS. The report draws on survey responses […]

In March 2025 ACTCOSS sought feedback from 129 respondents from ACT community organisations through the 2025 State of the ACT Community Sector Survey. The survey responses offer a snapshot of the ACT community sector and the full State of the Community Sector Report will be released in the final quarter of 2025. This fact sheet highlights […]

The ACT Council of Social Service has submitted its 2026-27 Budget priorities. We call on the ACT Government to invest in Canberra’s social infrastructure and protect those experiencing hardship.  Our 2024-25 State of the Sector survey shows rising poverty alongside increasing demand for services in the ACT. Frontline workers tell us people are struggling to afford essentials like utilities, food and housing, let alone health and dental care.  What we recommend  ACTCOSS has made 19 recommendations across five priority areas:  Alleviating poverty and cost of living for low-income individuals and families;  Valuing the community sector;  Strengthening investment in social housing and homelessness […]

In supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander determination, ACTCOSS continues to be guided by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body (ATSIEB; The Elected Body), Ngunnawal Elders, the ACT’s existing ACCOs and the broader community of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with connections to the lands of the ACT and region. Our submission […]

Energy is Essential! Multicultural ACT residents deserve to benefit from energy policies and supports in the same way as other Canberrans. However, they may face additional barriers that restrict their ability to do so. The current context of a rapidly changing energy system presents an opportunity to meaningfully incorporate the needs of Canberrans into the […]

ACTCOSS’s submission to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) welcomes the AER’s efforts to improve protections for consumers experiencing payment difficulties. ACTCOSS supports energy access as a basic human right and our submission highlights our opposition to disconnection as a response to financial hardship. Our key recommendations include: the minimum disconnection amount should be significantly higher […]

ACTCOSS’s 2025–26 comprehensive budget statement arrives at a critical moment. Too many Canberrans can’t afford basic essentials amid relentless cost-of-living pressures, wage growth below inflation growth, and a deepening housing crisis. For people on low incomes, the situation is untenable: the public housing waitlist is so overstretched that only the highest-need cases are housed, while […]

ACTCOSS has provided feedback to the ACT Inspector of Custodial Services through the Healthy Prison Revew 2025 process to highlight critical systemic failures within the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC). Drawing on consultations with community organisations, lived experience advocates, and service providers, the submission outlines urgent reforms needed to improve safety, dignity, rehabilitation, and reintegration for […]

ACTCOSS is gathering evidence to advocate for better funding and workforce support in the lead-up to the 2025-26 Budget. We know the Government is going to be making hard funding choices this year, and we want to make sure that the community sector’s value is promoted as effectively as possible. This survey will help ACTCOSS […]