Justice, Opportunity and Shared Wealth for all South Australians

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General

Legislative Council Select Committee on Poverty in South Australia

13 August 2018

This is a major submission from SACOSS to the Legislative Council Select Committee. The submission notes the different definitions of poverty and the need for a South Australian poverty line, and then presents new data on poverty in South Australia. 60,000 South Australian households or 131,000 South Australian people live in poverty (8% of the population) including 22,000 children.

IGA Community Consultation on Online Gambling in South Australia

12 August 2018

A submission to the Independent Gambling Authority community consultation on online gambling - again pointing out the lack of resources for policy advocacy in our sector and the asymmetry with the vast resources the gambling industry can mobilise for their advocacy.

Response to Productivity Commission Draft Report on Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation

10 November 2017

Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation (the sharing of the GST receipts) is vital to ensure that all state governments are able to provide the same level of services to citizens - regardless of what state they live in. SACOSS supports this objective, and rejects the proposals in the Productivity Commission to move away from this goal and aim for a narrower redistribution of funds which would see states like South Australia struggle to provide the same level of services.

Response to Future Directions of the Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity Discussion Paper

31 May 2017

The Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity Program provides funds for emergency relief and financial counselling services. In its submission on the proposed redesigns for the program SACOSS argued for the recognition that the program was a partnership with the community sector; that there was significant collaboration between providers and other community services agencies; and for the need for the retention of open and flexible eligibility criteria and service provision by funded services.

Linking Services for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Submission to the SA Mental Health Strategic Plan 2017-2022

31 May 2017

The SACOSS submission to the SA Mental Health Strategic Plan is a report of conversations from a sector briefing held in conjunction with the SA Mental Health Coalition and the SA Mental Health Commission. Participants explored their vision for an integrated mental health system, what steps and support would be required to achieve the vision and the support that would be required to maintain the vision. Their vision included an integrated multidisciplinary approach, zero stigma, mental wellbeing as everyone’s business and a system of pathways into a continuum of support.

Submission: Robo-Debt Inquiry

5 April 2017

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the “Design, Scope, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Contracts Awarded and Implementation Associated with the Better Management of the Social Welfare System Initiative” (otherwise known as Robo-Debt Inquiry).

SACOSS has joined with ACOSS and others across Australia in calling for Robo-Debt to be scrapped immediately. SACOSS has argued that the program has unrecoverable design and operational flaws and is causing enormous distress to thousands of low-income and vulnerable people.

Submission: Children and Young People (Safety) Bill 2016

25 January 2017

Submission to the Attorney-General's Department on the draft of the Children and Young People (Safety) Bill 2016 arguing for a greater focus on prevention and early intervention.

Download Submission on Children and Young People (Safety) Bill 2016

Submission: Productivity Commission Draft Report on Telecommunications Universal Service Obligation

19 January 2017

The submission argues that the Productivity Commission's Draft Report underestimates the importance of affordability issues and that these can't simply be shunted off to the tax-welfare system separate from the Universal Service Obligation. The submission draws on the data from SACOSS recent report on telecommunications affordability, Connectivity Costs

Joint COSS Submission: ACNC 2017 Annual Information Statement

6 October 2016

A joint submission with the Councils of Social Service in each state and territory, and ACOSS, to the charities regulator in response to their discussion paper on the content of the 2017 Annual Information Statement.

Download the Submission on the ACNC 2017 Annual Information Statement

Joint COSS response to the Australian Infrastructure Audit

28 August 2015

The Councils of Social Service around Australia have jointly submitted to the Australian Infrastructure Audit. 

Download Joint COSS response to the Australian Infrastructure Audit