Past Events

SACOSS Essential Services and Consumers Living with Disability Conference 2018: Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Transport

Everyone has a right to affordable and equitable access to essential services such as energy, water, telecommunications and transport. With over four million people in Australia with some form of disability, essential service businesses can ensure that people living with a disability are well considered. In this context, it is vital to deliver best practice, affordability, consumer protection, and effective regulation to enable access, participation and choice in the energy, water, telecommunication and transport sectors.

The 2018 SACOSS Essential Services and Consumers Living with Disability Conference will bring together businesses, government, community sector workers including disability advocates, service providers and consumers living with a disability (including families and carers) in the energy, water, telecommunications and transport space. Delegates will share and hear about the needs and experiences of those living with a disability and explore how essential service businesses can address disadvantage for those in vulnerable situations.

This Conference is one in a series of SACOSS Vulnerability and Affordability Conferences for the essential services sectors.

If you are a person living with a disability and you are unable to afford the ticket price but would like to attend, we encourage you contact us on 08 8305 4224 or email gabie@sacoss.org.au(link sends e-mail)as we may be able to subsidise your place. If you require special assistance such as a hearing loop, visual assistance guide or AUSLAN interpreter in order to fully participate in the conference we will make every effort to provide for your needs. All areas of the venue are wheelchair accessible.

Our keynote speaker Cosmo Graham is a Professor of Law at the School of Law, University of Leicester and Director of the Centre for Consumers and Essential Services. He specialises in the regulation of public utilities and is co-editor of the Utilities Law Review. Professor Graham was a member of the UK's Competition Commission (1999-2008) and the European Commission’s working group on vulnerable consumers in the energy sector.

Tickets and registration

Delegate Access and Venue Information

See speaker bios

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Download a Copy of the Conference Slides

Conference Major Sponsors: 

Conference Event Partner: SA Water

Conference Sponsors: ESCOSA - International Keynote session sponsor | Baptist Care SA - Industry Showcase session sponsor | Origin Energy - Power of Choice session sponsor | Energy Australia - Catering sponsor | Australian Gas Infrastructure Group - Post Conference Networking session sponsor | HESTA - Community Sector sponsor | The Royal Society For the Blind - Community Sector sponsor

The community services sector employs over 30,000 South Australians and accounts for more than 3% of state’s economy. Hear from the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition and Nick Xenophon on how they would address key issues of concern such as cost of living, child wellbeing, digital inclusion, sector support, tax and expenditure, gambling harm prevention and health, housing and justice. 

Watch the video recording of this event online here

This event is proudly supported by 

In 2014 the state government committed to working with the not-for-profit sector to develop uniform guidelines for funding sector organisations. This has now led to the development of draft templates for new funding contracts for government procurement and grants to the sector. These templates are now out for consultation and feedback.

Download DTF sector funding fact sheet

Download draft funded services agreement

Download draft grant agreement

This intensive Bootcamp will provide for purpose professionals with the opportunity to work alongside like-minded individuals to develop the critical skills required to navigate the policy development process and make change happen. This session will also have a focus on advocating in elections given the upcoming South Australian State Election. At the end of the Bootcamp participants will be able to develop tailored advocacy strategies for their organisations with innovative tactics to achieve your desired policy outcomes.

The program will cover the following topics:

• Theory on how social change happens
• The policy development cycle
• The political process and points of influence
• Articulating a clear problem and ask
• Communicating clear messages and making the case for change
• Developing advocacy strategies
• Tools for change
• Identifying innovative advocacy tactics
• Case studies from across the for purpose sector

Who should attend this Bootcamp? This program has been developed for people working in the not-for-profit of for purpose sector. It is for anyone seeking to influence government, particularly people working in policy, advocacy, government relations and communication roles.

About the facilitator: Caterina Giorgi is the Founder of For Purpose, a social business working with for purpose professionals to develop their skills, share ideas and work collaboratively to create innovative solutions to complex problems. Caterina has worked in the for purpose sector in a range of policy, advocacy and sector development roles, including as Director or Policy and Research at the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. She has presented at national and international conferences on public health policy research, advocacy, government relations and public policy. She also delivers policy, advocacy, social change and government relations training across Australia.

Book online and contact event organisers here