Lift paltry allowances and help people into paid work

Could you live on $35 a day? That’s how much people unfortunate enough to find themselves out of work have to depend on - to put a roof over their heads, feed and clothe themselves, and get around as they try and find paid work – just $243 per week.

Join the ACOSS campaign to raise unemployment allowances such as Newstart and demand better targeted jobs assistance.

Far from the stereotype of a 'lazy dole bludger', most of the 600,000 people on Newstart Allowance are actually among the most disadvantaged people in Australia.

• 1 in 3 are over 45 years of age
• 1 in 6 have been assessed as only able to work part time due to a disability, including mental illness
• 1 in 10 are from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
• 1 in 15 is a sole parent, needing affordable child care services and a job with family friendly hours
• 2 out of every 5 recipients has less than Year 12 qualifications 60% have received unemployment payments for over a year, and 25% for over 3 years

It’s time to raise Allowance payments by $50 per week as recommended by the Henry Report and the OECD, and improve the level of targeted jobs assistance to help break down these barriers. Increasing allowance payments will help lift a great many people out of poverty and place them in a better position to participate in paid work. ACOSS has prepared a statement (bellow) calling for an increase in unemployment benefits and improvements to jobs assistance. We’re calling on groups and individuals to add their names in support.

More information - click here

NCOSS met with the Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, to discuss the transport priorities raised in the NCOSS Pre-Budget Submission . Priorities in the transport portfolio include increasing the cap for the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme, and accelerating funding for Easy Access Station upgrades. The NSW Government is currently well behind its target of making 55% of stations accessible by 2012, with only 41% (127) of stations accessible as at July 2011. Although the Government’s allocation of an additional $60m over four years for the Easy Access Program is warmly welcomed, we are concerned that this commitment is not enough to meet the agreed timelines.

Aboriginal transport is also an NCOSS priority, with funding required to not only address transport disadvantage in Aboriginal communities, but also to support the capacity of Aboriginal people to engage in transport planning and decision-making processes.

While not one of Minister Berejiklian’s direct responsibilities, transport for health was also discussed as it is an ongoing issue for many of our stakeholders and has a direct impact on community transport services. NCOSS looks forward to participating in the review of the Transport for Health program set to follow the implementation of the NSW Government’s election commitments to improve the IPTAAS scheme.

Two revenue-raising measures for transport were also discussed, and received with interest by the Minister. The introduction of a $2 levy on vehicle registration would create an ongoing revenue stream to support community transport programs, while an effective road-pricing scheme has the potential to achieve positive environmental and social equity outcomes. This idea will be further explored by a Legislative Assembly inquiry into road access pricing .

The NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell, addressed the 74th NCOSS AGM, held on 22 November. In his speech he highlighted his Government’s commitment to achieving the goals set out in the NSW 2021: A Plan to make NSW Number One which was released in September this year. The Premier spoke of the explicit targets set in NSW 2021 and his determination to achieve these, especially as they related to reducing levels of disadvantage.

Importantly, he spoke about the role for the community sector in achieving the goals that have been set. While recognising that there will always be a need for governments to directly deliver services, the Premier said that his Government recognised that NGOs are well placed to work with disadvantaged and vulnerable people particularly those who are disengaged from government and mainstream services and support.

He indicated that his Government wants to make the most of this capacity and is committed to working closely with NGOs saying that the Government doesn’t believe it always has all the ideas or the best ideas. The Premier noted that we will no doubt disagree from time to time but that our input about how we can together make a difference is valuable and valued.

The Premier told us that the NSW Government supports the principle of equal pay and that he personally welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister that the Commonwealth would provide supplementation for their share of any increase awarded in the sector Equal Pay Case. He said he looked forward to further discussions about how all governments could ensure workers in the sector were paid fairly and in a sustainable way.

These comments are timely as NCOSS prepares to publicly release its Pre-Budget Submission (PBS) for 2012-13. The PBS has already been provided to the Premier and his Cabinet and to senior Government officials so that, as they begin the process of developing the next State Budget, they can take into account our views on where their priorities should be.

The PBS follows on from Vote 1 Fairness in NSW, our election platform, and seeks through its recommendations to ensure budgetary measures are adopted to enhance the lives of those in our communities who are the most vulnerable and marginalised.

As always, there are many issues that could have been reflected in our PBS. Through input from our networks and forums, NCOSS endeavours to highlight those issues that have the highest priority at this point in time.

Across a range of portfolios and the breadth of our interests the PBS, together with our other policy advocacy, seeks to turn the intent of NSW 2021 into concrete action that will make a real difference for those who are doing it tough.

The Premier, in concluding his address at the AGM, said his Cabinet colleagues and he would be listening to suggestions from NCOSS and heeding our advice as the Government looks to provide high quality and sustainable services that reduce disadvantage and ensure everyone has a fair go.  

Download: Address to the 74th NCOSS AGM by The Hon Barry O’Farrell M.P., Premier of NSW

A community delegation will converge on Canberra today to support the Federal Government's positive pathway towards community-based alternatives to immigration detention.

Chaired by the Refugee Council of Australia and involving 17 organisations representing millions of Australians the delegation will brief parliamentarians on best-practice community-based models to process asylum seekers.

RCOA chief executive officer Paul Power said the delegation strongly supported the Government's decision to pursue onshore processing of all asylum applications and alternatives to detention to people arriving by boat without a visa. Mr Power said the delegation was reaching out to the Government to help develop successful long-term community models.

"Our message to the Government is clear - we are ready to work with Government to build community support for successful community processing models."

The delegation is also calling for a greater focus on regional development, which Mr Power said "will do more than any other set of measures to address the insecurity that forces refugees and asylum seekers to engage people-smugglers in their efforts to find greater safety."

In addition to those participating in this delegation, "hundreds of organisations support a more compassionate approach", according to ACOSS Chief Executive, Cassandra Goldie.

In September ACOSS gathered support for community based arrangements from over 260 leading organisations and leading charities.

"It is misguided to be looking at off-shore solutions when the most effective, economical and humane method for processing asylum seekers is right here on our doorstep" she said.

Organisations who are part of this delegation include: Amnesty International Australia, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Australian Council of Social Service, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Catalyst Australia Inc, ChilOut, Edmund Rice Centre, Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Federation of Ethnic Communities' Council of Australia, John Menadue, National Council of Churches in Australia, Oxfam Australia, Refugee Advice and Casework Service, Refugee Council of Australia, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly, Welcome to Australia.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew Williams 0488 035 535

New research commissioned by Australians for Affordable Housing reveals that almost 300,000 NSW households are in housing stress. After paying for housing these households are at risk of financial hardship and poverty.

According to the research, some 180,000 renters in this state are in housing stress, representing 27% of renters. A further 112,000 home purchasers are in housing stress, representing 12% of home purchasers.

The report further strengthens the need for a clear plan, with numerical targets, to expand the supply of both social and affordable housing in NSW, as advocated by NCOSS.

Download:  Report Housing Costs Through the Roof: Australia's Housing Stress

The NSW Minister for Disability Services Andrew Constance officially launched the NSW Disability Network Forum on 20 September. NCOSS is providing secretariat support for the Forum which will be a strong coordinated voice for people with a disability, helping to shape government policy and guide improvements in the delivery of disability services. The Forum comprises peak non-government advocacy groups and will focus on people who use and rely on disability services - people with a disability, their families and carers.

Member organisations of the NSW Disability Network Forum

• Aboriginal Disability Network NSW
• Association of Blind Citizens of NSW
• Brain Injury Association NSW
• Citizen Advocacy Western Sydney
• Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS)
• DeafBlind Association NSW
• Deaf Society of NSW
• Institute For Family Advocacy
• Intellectual Disability Rights Service
• Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW
• NSW Consumer Advisory Group - Mental Health
• NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
• NSW Disability Advocacy Network
• Physical Disability Council of NSW
• People with Disability Australia
• Self Advocacy Sydney
• Positive Life NSW

More information:

• Minister Constance’s (ADHC) media release
• About the Forum

The NSW Disability Network Forum can be contacted through the NCOSS secretariat:

Christine Regan
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
phone: 02 92112599 ext 117

Val Kors (Wed – Fri)
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
phone: 02 92112599 ext 123

 Photo: NSW Minister for Disability Services Andrew Constance speaking at the launch of the NSW Disability Network Forum

People with disability and their representatives will share in $300,000 in Australian Government funding over three years to attend key international forums on human rights. The money was announced on 29 September 2011 by Senator Jan McLucas, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, and Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner.

The funding, under the Commonwealth’s National Disability Strategy, will support delegations representing peak disability and advocacy organisations to better represent the needs of people with disability internationally.

Details on this new initiative including eligibility can be found on the Australian Human Rights Commission's website.

Download:

• Australian Human Rights Commission media release
• Media release from Senator McLucas

Photo
Representatives present at the announcement at the Australian Human Rights Commission (l-r): Therese Sands, Executive Director, People With Disability Australia; Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner; Senator Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers; Christine Regan, Senior Policy Officer, NCOSS; Ruth Robinson, Executive Officer, Physical Disability Council of NSW; Sam French Systemic Advocacy Manager, People With Disability Australia

NCOSS is pleased to hear that NSW has been allocated 4,700 extra houses under round four of the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS). The allocation was announced by the Federal Government on 4th October.

NRAS is being delivered in partnership with state and territory governments and provides annual financial incentive payments to project sponsors to construct new dwellings to rent to eligible low and moderate income households at a rate that is at least 20 per cent below the prevailing market rents.

NCOSS has been concerned that NSW fared poorly under earlier NRAS funding rounds despite the fact that NSW households clearly experience the highest level of rental stress in the country.

We have been campaigning to ensure that NSW receives a fair share of all further NRAS funding rounds. Under round 4 NSW has received 28% of available incentives, a marked improvement on earlier rounds.

For further information: http://www.environment.gov.au/housing/nras/index.html

NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) is pleased to inform you of the availability of funds through the Anti-Tobacco Community Grants Program (Grants Program) for CALD communities.

There will be two types of funding available: small grants of up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) and large grants of over $10,000 and up to $50,000 (GST inclusive).

The Grants Program, funded by Cancer Institute NSW, aims to develop partnerships between health services (public) and various community based organisations. The program is aimed at addressing tobacco related harm in priority CALD communities with higher than state average smoking rates (Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese and small and emerging communities). It is also aimed at building capacity in community-based organisations (NGOs) to undertake tobacco control activities within priority CALD communities.

MHCS has been commissioned to administer the Grants program. MHCS is a state-wide service funded to provide health information to CALD communities.

For more information, including an information package and application form, please visit www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/mhcs/utility/Anti-TobaccocommunitgrantsforCALD.asp and download the relevant documents. Applications are now open. The deadline for applications is 4.00 pm, Friday 28 October, 2011.

Contact:

• Bevan Wilson, Project Officer, Multilingual Quitline Project, NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
  Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Phone: 02 9816 030

You are invited to attend a public forum: Not In Bankstown, Not Anywhere! why we need a Moratorium on Government’s Income Management.

• When:  Thursday 6 October 2011, 11.30am–1pm
• Where: Life Church, Ground floor, 194 Stacey Street Bankstown

The campaign Say No to Government’s Income Management: Not In Bankstown Not Anywhere has gathered momentum locally and nationally and has gained support from a range of organisations and groups. The campaign coalition is now holding this forum for Bankstown residents, service providers and advocates to hear firsthand about the experience of the Income Management under the Northern Territory Intervention.

The Forum will also be an opportunity for you to learn more about the concerns of the welfare sector and to hear what long time advocates are saying about this policy. You will also learn more about the campaign, how you can be part of it and how you too can take action to protect the rights of people on social security. Please feel free to circulate this email widely and encourage residents, colleagues and others to attend.

Download:  Flyer

Applications are open for the Community Building Partnership program. The program provides funds for community groups and local councils to invest in community infrastructure throughout the NSW. Applicants need to demonstrate how their project will benefit their local community through the building or improvement of facilities to deliver positive social, recreational or environmental outcomes. Projects must be ready to commence by early 2012 and be completed before the end of March 2013.

Applications close on Monday 31 October 2011.

For further information see http://www.communitybuildingpartnership.nsw.gov.au/ .

Some guides for getting the most out of your Budget Paper reading experience.

• Download: NSW Treasury Presentation: How to read the NSW State Budget papers 2011-12 (PDF)
• Download: Financial Management Framework: What You Do And Why: An Agency Guide to Defining Results and Services (PDF)
• Related: NSW Government Budget 2011-12 Site (Papers, Press Releases, etc)

Report on the National Transport Commission Workshop
On Wednesday August 31, NCOSS attended a workshop on The Future of Transport in Australia. Hosted by the National Transport Commission (NTC) and the Institute for Sustainable Futures, the workshop was designed to inform the NTC’s Smart Transport for a Growing Nation project.

The first part of the workshop focused on developing a shared vision for a desired transport future.

Although the futures imagined by the individuals and groups attending the workshop differed in their finer details, they all had common attributes. These included more flexible and sustainable transport options – with public transport featuring as a more feasible, desirable choice for a greater proportion of the population. There was also a focus on reducing our requirements to travel; through the localisation of services, improvements in technology, and more flexible working arrangements.

The organisations attending the workshop represented a broad range of interests. They included State and Commonwealth transport and infrastructure agencies, the Australasian Railway Association, the Automobile Association, the Institute for Sensible Transport, consultants, academics and many others.

Yet in spite of this diversity, there was a remarkable level of agreement around some of the actions we should be taking in order to reach any one of our desired transport futures. Increased investment in public transport was seen as both important and urgent; as a higher priority than roads funding in almost every circumstance. Adjusting taxes and fees to better reflect the true cost – including social and environmental costs – associated with different modes of travel was also considered to be a crucial step.

It was well understood, however, that there are significant political barriers to carrying out these actions – overcoming these is a challenge that will require strong, forward-looking leadership. Sensitivity and foresight will also be required to ensure that while transitioning to a more sustainable transport future, we protect disadvantaged households and groups from additional hardship.

NCOSS looks forward to reading the project’s final report, and to supporting the NTC and other stakeholders as they work to address current and future transport challenges.

Regional Development Australia (RDA) brings together all levels of government to support the development of Australia's regions. In NSW RDA is funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments and administered by the Commonwealth Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development & Local Government and the NSW Department of Trade & Investment.

In NSW there are 14 RDA committees who are working to develop solutions to the economic, social and environmental issues affecting their communities. The network of RDA committees includes a single committee for the Sydney region.

RDA committees have developed:

• regional business growth plans and strategies, which will help support economic development, the creation of new jobs, skills development, business investment and utilise fast speed broadband
• environmental solutions, which will support ongoing sustainability and the management of climate change (including the impact of drought, flood or bushfires, restoration of the Murray Darling Basin and clean energy), and
• social inclusion strategies, which will bring together and support all members of the community.

Across NSW, Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are being sought for a total of 94 positions in RDAs. EOIs close on Friday 16 September 2011.

The Information Handbook and online EOI form can be found at http://www.rda.gov.au/working.aspx