SACOSS has provided a submission on a draft Bill entitled the Equal Opportunity (Religious Bodies) Amendment Bill 2020. If enacted, it would make a number of amendments to the religious bodies exemptions currently contained in section 50 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA). SACOSS's submission looks at the role the federal government's Religious Freedom Bills, moving to a discrimination by application' model, extending the list of services, and ensuring stakeholders and the community generally are all aware of EO protections.
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Equal Opportunity (Religious Bodies) Amendment Bill 2020
20 November 2020
Access standard for housing: National Construction Code
18 November 2020
In October 2017, the Building Ministers Forum (BMF) agreed to develop a national regulatory impact statement (RIS) for accessible housing. The RIS was to examine the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines (silver and gold levels) as options for creating a minimum access standard in the National Construction Code (NCC). The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) released the Consultation RIS for public consultation from 6 July to 31 August 2020. SACOSS wrote to the Minister for Human Services to follow up on this important area.
National Construction Code: Consultation RIS
27 August 2020
SACOSS made a submission regarding the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement: Proposal to include minimum accessibility standards for housing in the National Construction Code. We noted that the Australian Network for Universal Housing Design (ANUHD) also made a thorough and considered submission on this matter, which SACOSS supports, endorsing its analysis and recommendations.
Health Care Governance Amendment Bill 2020
20 July 2020
SACOSS and endorsing partners have made a Joint Statement regarding the Health Care (Governance) Amendment Bill 2020, currently under discussion and due for debate in SA Parliament in the week commencing Mon 20 July. The Statement has been endorsed by SACOSS and the following organisations:
Adelaide Park Lands Dry Area - Feb 2020
23 February 2020
Submission opposing the Adelaide City Council proposal to create a permanent 24/7 Dry Area in all Adelaide Park Lands.
Download Submission on proposed Adelaide Park Lands Dry Area
Senate Inquiry into Regional Inequality
18 November 2019
The SACOSS Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics' inquiry into regional inequality focuses on regional poverty, the digital divide and the importance of local community organisations. The submissions makes 7 recommendations, including raising the rate of Newstart, subsiding NBN costs for households on income support, and ensuring government health and community service procurement operations properly recognise the social capital of local non-government organisations.
Draft Land Tax (Miscellaneous) Amendments Bill 2019
1 October 2019
The SACOSS submission supports the proposed changes to land tax aggregation to minimise tax avoidance and make the system fairer, but we do not support the extent of the tax cuts which are also part of the Bill. SACOSS is proposing different tax scales and to use the extra revenue to invest in public and community housing to help reverse the decline in these much needed resources.
Senate Inquiry on Adequacy of Newstart and other matters
17 September 2019
Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart and other matters. The SACOSS submission is short and focuses on raising the rate of Newstart. It basically supports the ACOSS submission, highlights the SA Legislative Council Committee on Poverty which recommended that Newstart be increased, and notes the last SACOSS Cost of Living Report which shows that Newstart has not kept pace with cost of living for the last 3 years.
Housing and Homelessness Strategy for South Australia
2 September 2019
Submission to the state government housing and homeless strategy - strategic intent statement. The SACOSS submission highlights the decline in the stock of social housing and this is fundamental to any strategy to address homelessness and housing affordability, and notes the absence of a commitment in the strategy to increase the stock of social housing.
Download: SACOSS submission to SA Housing and Homelessness Strategy
Mental Health Services and the NDIS: Presentation to the Social Development Committee of SA Parliament
1 April 2019
In late 2018, the Social Development Committee (SDC) of the South Australian Parliament resolved to inquire into and report on the provision of services for people with mental illness under the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and SACOSS was invited to present.