Advocacy Publications

ACTCOSS fully supports the passage of the legislation on the prohibition of conversion practices in the ACT. Sexuality and gender identity conversion practices deny affected people their right to live safely and openly in accordance with their gender or sexual identity. Moreover, ACTCOSS understands from our members working with the LGBTQI community, including people who […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the federal inquiry into lessons to be learned in relation to the Australian bushfire season 2019-20. Although the ACT did not experience significant property damage during the bushfire season, in this submission ACTCOSS notes the significant mental health toll of the bushfires, as well as the significant impacts of […]

Our submission in response to the Evoenergy Gas Network 2021 Draft Plan focused on the interests of low-income and other at-risk energy consumers in the ACT. Evoenergy’s consumer engagement identified strong community support for a just transition to zero net greenhouse gas emissions in the ACT by 2045 implemented in a way that supports vulnerable […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in response to its NDIS Workforce Inquiry. To ensure workforce development policy between the Commonwealth and Territory is complementary and coordinated, we commend the findings in the ACT Community Services Industry Workforce Data and Community Needs Analysis report. We […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the Select Committee on Justice and Community Safety to highlight key issues on the community engagement activities of ACT Policing. ACTCOSS supports a model of policing focused on non-punitive approaches and productive engagement with community organisations and people experiencing disadvantage and targeted by over-policing. ACTCOSS highlights issues including: Over-policing […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the Select Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic response on 29 June 2020 calling for additional measures to protect vulnerable Canberrans during the COVID-19 pandemic following the Committee’s Interim report 2 tabled 4 June 2020.

The ACT Council of Social Service fully supports the development of an ACT Child Safe Standards scheme based on lessons learned from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.  ACTCOSS believes there are key issues to consider in the development of this scheme, including community sector resourcing, scope of the scheme, and […]

In this submission to Council of Attorneys-General review of the age of criminal responsibility, ACTCOSS recommends the minimum age be raised from 10 to 14 across all states and territories. A minimum age of 14 aligns with international human rights standards and will ensure children under 14 are no longer criminalised. ACTCOSS recommends that children diverted from the youth justice system are responded to […]

Our submission to the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety on the Human Rights (Workers’ Rights) Amendment Bill 2019 ACTCOSS argued that all Economic, Social and Cultural (ESC) Rights should be included in the ACT Human Rights Act. This would establish a positive obligation on any ACT Government to guarantee ESC rights in policy […]

Submission by ACT Energised Consumers Project Partners: ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), Care Financial Counselling Service, and Better Renting. ACTCOSS, Care Financial Counselling Service, and Better Renting made a joint submission to the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in response to their Retail Electricity Price Investigation 2020-24 Draft Report. Our submission welcomed the […]