Advocacy Publications

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the ACT Community Services Directorate, ACT Office for Disability on the development of the ten-year ACT Disability Strategy (ACTDS). ACTCOSS has identified ten key focus areas to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in the ACT and make Canberra an accessible and inclusive city. These are […]

ACTCOSS made a submission to the ACT Government’s Draft Multicultural Recognition Bill 2022 in support of a strong commitment to a diverse, inclusive and anti-racist community. We encouraged the government to act on the commitment to multiculturalism by introducing accessible anti-discrimination reporting and enforcement mechanisms.

ACTCOSS provided a submission to the Inquiry into Access to Services and Information in Auslan. Our submission highlighted that improving access to services and information in Auslan is a human rights issue, which should be addressed with urgency.  We endorse submissions made by Advocacy for Inclusion (AFI) and other disability and carer advocacy organisations, and […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the Right to a Healthy Environment consultation process. ACTCOSS is proud of the ACT’s commitment to a be a human rights jurisdiction, and we support the addition of a right to a healthy environment (RHE) to the ‘Economic, Social and Cultural rights’ (ESC) section of the ACT Human Rights […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the ACT Government’s Variations in Sex Characteristics Draft Bill 2022. Our submission supports the restriction of medical treatments for variations in sex characteristics to those occurring on the basis of: being an emergency treatment; ease of reversibility; not affecting sex characteristics; and being performed with informed consent. Further, the […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the ACT Government’s Planning Review and Reform Project. Our submission calls for high quality consultation with people experiencing disadvantage and highlights the need to prioritise accessible and affordable housing and community connection in all planning reforms.

In ACTCOSS’s submission we call for the 2022-23 ACT Budget to: urgently address the growing housing crisis support and enable the community sector to respond to increasing disadvantage caused by rising costs of living prioritise self-determination and community control for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.

On 28 April 2022, ACTCOSS hosted a members’ forum with a range of candidates for the 2022 federal election. The forum was an opportunity for local dialogue with a local focus. Members heard from party/independent candidates present: Tim Hollo and Tjanara Goreng Goreng (Australian Greens), Andrew Leigh (Australian Labor Party), and independent senate candidates David Pocock […]

ACTCOSS has identified six policy priorities that will give a fair go to people on low incomes and those disadvantaged by current systems: income support; housing security; quality community services; fair, fast, and inclusive climate action; self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and revenue. ACTCOSS surveyed candidates in the 2022 federal election about […]

The 2022 ACT Cost of Living Report highlights the dual impact of the highest increase in living costs in over 20 years and the withdrawal of COVID-19 income supports. Over the past 12 months the ACT community sector has seen an increase in demand for social services alongside an increase in poverty, disadvantage and complexity […]