Advocacy Publications

This submission responds to Libraries ACT’s Imagine 2030 process to co-design our future libraries with the community. In this submission, ACTCOSS acknowledges the significant role that Libraries ACT plays in supporting social justice in our community. By providing a space for everyone, they play an important role in supporting social inclusion and social cohesion in […]

The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) made a submission responding to the ACT Government’s discussion paper on raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility. We strongly advocate that the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) in the ACT should be raised from 10 to at least 14 years old, with no exceptions or carve […]

The 2021 ACT Cost of Living Report tracks changes in the cost of living for low-income households in the Australian Capital Territory over the past 12 months and five years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty has increased in the ACT. Over the past five years, housing, health, education, food, and energy prices in Canberra have […]

This submission responds to the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission’s (ICRC’s) consultation draft of the ACT Retail Electricity (Transparency and Comparability) Code Guideline. ACTCOSS had advocated for the introduction of the Code as an important measure to make it easier for small energy consumers in the ACT to identify electricity offers that better suit their […]

ACTCOSS has highlighted the additional costs of disability and costs of living in Canberra, barriers to obtaining payments, the lack of employment opportunities and powerful personal stories in our submission to the Inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee. Our submission supports […]

ACTCOSS provided feedback on Dr Marisa Paterson’s exposure draft of the ACT’s Crimes (Consent) Amendment Bill 2021, which introduces a new definition of consent based on free and voluntary agreement. We support the Bill yet request further clarity and consultation regarding potential perverse outcomes on marginalised people.

In ACTCOSS’s submission to the inquiry and review of current health assessment programs in the ACT for children and young people, we highlight the need for the ACT Government to commit to a real increase in spending on health services. There is also a need to implement key worker strategies to attract and retain health […]

In ACTCOSS’s submission we call for the 2021-22 ACT Budget to work towards a fair and just Canberra through: A sustainable recovery from the social, health and economic shock of COVID-19.  Adequate funding for community sector organisations.   Addressing the ACT’s ongoing housing crisis.  Reducing inequality and supporting increased numbers of Canberrans receiving income support.  Improving outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our […]

ACTCOSS made a submission to the Justice and Community Safety Committee inquiry into Community Corrections. Our submission highlights the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples across the justice system and the experiences of people with disability and mental illness in Community Corrections. We also called for significant investment into housing, mental health and […]

ACTCOSS strongly supports passing the Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Bill 2021. Moving toward decriminalising a range of drugs for personal use will have enormous positive impact, especially for some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised people in the ACT and broader community.