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21 March 2024
Close the Gap day
Today is Close the Gap day — a day to take action to close the gap that exists in health, education and living conditions for Aboriginal people in this country. Launched in 2007, the campaign aims to achieve health equality
within a generation. The report released today calls for Australia to do more towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recognition, rights, justice and equity.
NCOSS is committed to working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to close the gap. I encourage you to read this year’s report here: CTG Annual Reports – CLOSE
THE GAP
Meeting with COSS network
Last week I met with leaders of the Councils of Social Service from all the states and territories in Adelaide. It was wonderful to be able to collaborate in person on our shared goal to end poverty and inequality in Australia. We discussed the ways we can support the community sector and advocate for policy changes at a government level.
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Caption: Council of Social Service leaders from across Australia met in Adelaide last week.
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Bail laws for young people
NCOSS rejects the proposal by the NSW Government to create new bail laws for children. The new laws are being debated in parliament this week and will make it harder for children to be released on bail. These laws will particularly worsen outcomes for Aboriginal kids, who are 20 times more likely to be in juvenile detention. While it looks like the laws will successfully pass Parliament, NCOSS will continue to raise our concerns and advocate for real investment in communities that avoids the criminalisation of kids.
Harmony Day
This week also marks Harmony Week, an event that many schools and workplaces celebrate to support cultural diversity. NCOSS staff joined in celebrations at Ashcroft Public School where the Mirrung School Gateway Project is located. The school celebrated by holding a parade where students wore orange to symbolise harmony or something that represents their culture or heritage.
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Caption: Students at Ashcroft Public School celebrated Harmony Day with a school parade.
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Complete our Cost of Living Survey
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Share the Cost of Living in NSW survey with the people you support!
NCOSS has launched its Cost of Living in NSW 2024 survey. The project seeks to get a better understanding of the impact of cost-of-living changes on low-income households and those living below the poverty line from across NSW.
We are calling on our members and network to share the survey with the people you support to ensure we can get a range of responses from across NSW.
Does your program service children and families?
This year, we are shining a spotlight on low-income households with dependent children aged 0-15 to understand their challenges when it comes to dealing with cost-of-living pressures. If your service works with children and families and it is interested in participating in one of our focus groups, please email advocacy@ncoss.org.au for more information. We are recruiting for these groups and they will be held in April.
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ABC News: "Driving
becoming increasingly unaffordable in NSW, with regional communities struggling most"
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NCOSS Lived Experience Advocate Emma Warren was interviewed by ABC News about her experience giving up a car to save money. As the costs of owning a car in NSW increase, more and more people are finding it unaffordable. But without reliable and frequent public transport, especially in regional NSW, people are being left isolated and unable to access essential services like work, education and healthcare.
Emma told ABC News, "I can get the train to Sydney and back for $2.50, which is fantastic, but for me to get to a doctors appointment in Newcastle I have to spend $25 on a rideshare."
Read the full story here: Driving becoming increasingly unaffordable in NSW, with regional and low-income communities struggling most - ABC News
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ABC News: Modest fall in electricity prices in NSW
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Caption: NCOSS CEO Cara Varian speaking to ABC News.
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NCOSS CEO Cara Varian spoke to ABC TV about the predicted fall in household electricity prices. The energy regulator has set benchmark prices that should see the
rate of energy fall by 1.9% and 3% from July.
"We welcome any reduction but after two years of huge price increases, this small decrease is not going to move the needle for people across NSW," Cara said.
Watch the full news clip here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8uzjlw
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Zest Award Nominations are Open
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Caption: A collage of images of people accepting awards and celebrating.
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Do you know of an inspiring individual or innovative project?
Help us tell the stories of Greater Western Sydney’s community sector by nominating an inspiring individual or project that has made a difference in the community.
Nominations for the 2024 ZEST Awards are open. No project
or organisation is too big or too small – everyone is welcome.
Over fourteen years, the ZEST Awards have established themselves as Western Sydney’s premier platform for recognising and celebrating their achievements.
Nominations close Friday, 12 April. Click here to nominate someone today.
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| Resilient Australia National Awards
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Caption: Image of a ranger standing in a forest near a controlled fire. This photo was the winner of the 2023 People's Choice Photography Award
category of the Resilient Australia Awards.
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The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate and promote initiatives that build whole of community resilience to disasters and emergencies around Australia as well as capture and share examples of resilience in action.
The awards recognise collaboration and innovative thinking across a broad range of sectors and initiatives that strengthen disaster resilience with communities, institutions, and the private sector.
Submissions are now open and close on 31 May. Find out more information here.
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Flood Recovery Program for Central West NSW
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Caption: Text that reads "Resilient responders & Empowering Conversations."
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NFPs and community groups in flood-affected areas of Central West NSW can now access free mental health and trauma training, plus online resources from Benefolk Foundation, thanks to the Australian and NSW Governments via the NGO Flood Recovery Program.
The training will support community organisations, their staff and volunteers
across New England, Western NSW, Murrumbidgee and Far West NSW. Face-to-face training will be delivered in Glen Innes, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Bathurst across May, June and August. Online and self-paced sessions will also be available to ensure everyone in local NFPs can access training in their own time.
Find out more here: Central West Special Project - Benefolk | Social Impact Specialist Community
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| Better Renting's Cruel Summers Report
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Caption: Image of a red house with a figure bent over on the ground. Text reads: "Cruel Summers Report."
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Better Renting's "Cruel Summers" report, based on their "Renter Researchers" project, highlights the critical challenges renters in Australia face due to inadequate housing during extreme summer temperatures.
The study, involving over 100 participants, underscores the urgent need for improved rental housing standards, as many experienced dangerously high indoor temperatures, significantly impacting health and well-being.
Key findings include median
indoor temperatures of 25.2°C in NSW and even higher in Queensland at 28.2°C, with a peak of 45.3°C in South Australia. The report calls for the implementation of minimum energy performance standards and stronger rental rights to ensure safe, comfortable living conditions for renters. It's a call to action for policymakers and the community to address the pressing issues of climate resilience and tenant protection in the rental market.
Read the full report here.
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| People's Commission into the Housing Crisis
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Caption: Aerial view of houses and roads with text that reads: "The system is broken, but together, we have the power to fix it. Share your story
today."
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Everybody's Home are convening a People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis to focus the nation’s attention on the housing emergency and the solutions required to ensure no one is left behind.
What is the People’s Commission?
The People’s Commission is an opportunity for individuals and organisations across Australia to contribute to a national conversation about the housing crisis, its impacts and what can be done to fix it - we all have a role to play.
How can I get involved?
We are calling on people from all walks of life to contribute to this process. Whether you're a homeowner, a renter, or currently without a stable home - whatever your situation, you can help make the system fairer for everyone simply by taking part in the process.
Add your voice here: Everybody's Home (everybodyshome.com.au)
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| A National Building Code for all Australians
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Caption: An image of a woman and a child with text that reads: "Every Australian deserves liveable and accessible housing that adapts to their changing
circumstances."
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Without fit-for-purpose housing, many Australians are unable to access a home that is appropriate to their needs across their lifespan.
The NSW Government is yet to commit to adopting the Livable Housing Design Standard mandated in the revised National Construction Code. It’s time to hold them to account.
Sign the petition today. https://www.buildingbetterhomes.org.au/nsw.html
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The FASD Forum ’24 provides a carefully curated selection of presentations covering topics of key interest to the FASD community and an opportunity to hear both from experts leading research as well as experts with lived experience.
Early Bird discounted registrations close on Friday 29 March (Good Friday).
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This free online session will outline Centrelink payments and services available to people who are retired, planning for retirement, or wanting to keep working after reaching Age Pension age.
Target audience: Community workers and volunteers, aged-care workers, social workers and lawyers.
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Just Include Me is our free online self-paced training for health professionals.
This online training is CPD accredited and aims to shine a light on person-centered care and support health professionals to learn more about resources, tools, and actions to promote inclusion in health care for people with intellectual disability.
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Introduces participants to the beginning of their advocacy journey, so carers can develop a general understanding and start to build their capacity to advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
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In this webinar, we’ll step you through your not-for-profit’s legal obligations when it comes to the mental health and safety of your staff and volunteers.
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Groundswell Climate Grants
Closing Date: 25 March 2024
We support organisations creating the social, economic and political conditions to reduce emissions to levels that will avoid the worst impacts of climate change. If your work focuses on climate justice and making sure no one is left behind in the race to decarbonise, then we’d also love to hear from you.
For more information, visit the grant information page.
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NSW Government: Health and Development Participation Grant Program
Closing Date: 31 March
The HDP Grant provides funding to eligible early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to participate in the Health and Development Checks in Early Childhood Education Program.
For more information, visit the grant information page.
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Protecting Our Places
Closing Date: 2 April 2024
The Protecting Our Places program encourages and empowers Aboriginal communities to protect, conserve and restore landscapes and waterways important to them.
For more information, visit the grant information page.
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Aged Care Support Program
Closing Date: 3 April 2024
This grant is to assist providers to transition towards managing the costs of COVID-19 outbreaks as part of their business-as-usual arrangements. It will reimburse approved aged care providers to maintain preparedness for, and respond to, outbreaks in the 2023 calendar year.
This will cover eligible expenditure incurred in managing direct impacts of COVID-19 to a maximum grant value per operational place for residential aged care providers, or numbers of home care packages for home care providers.
For more information, visit the grant information page.
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Caption: Text reading "Closing Soon!"
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Lesbians Incorporated Community Grants
Closing Date: 22 March 2024
Projects may aim to benefit the lesbian community in general or one or more groups within the lesbian community. Groups may be racial, cultural, geographic, or may have specific identified needs or shared interests and concerns.
For more information, visit the grant information page.
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Youngcare’s At Home Care Grants
Closing Date: 27 March
Youngcare’s At Home Care Grants (AHCG) provide funding for equipment, home modifications and essential support that is unable to be funded through other means (eg. NDIS). The grants provide one-off funding of up to $10,000 to help those aged 16-65 with high physical care needs who are living at home, and are at risk of entering inappropriate housing.
For more information, visit the grant information page.
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Some of the latest from our Jobs Board:
Resource and Events Coordinator (Inner-city Sydney) - Senior Rights Service - VIEW JOB
Youth Worker - Specialist Homelessness Service (Penrith & Katoomba) - Platform Youth Services - VIEW JOB
Case Worker (Inner West Sydney) - The Gender Centre - VIEW JOB
Alcohol and Other Drugs Worker (Inner West Sydney) - WHOS - VIEW JOB
Practice Lead, Advocacy Programs (Surry Hills) - Seniors Rights Service - VIEW JOB
Youth Worker - Specialist Homelessness Service (Penrith & Katoomba) - Platform Youth Services - VIEW JOB
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NCOSS gives its members the opportunity to share their stories, research, resources, events and more through NCOSS eNews. If you have something to share with the sector, send through a short blurb (50-70 words), image (250 x 250px) and relevant links to info@ncoss.org.au.
We will endeavour to add it to an edition of NCOSS e-News (goes out every fortnight on Thursday morning). Deadline for content is 5:00pm on Monday, the week of publication. The next deadline is Monday, 1 April 2024.
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| NCOSS gratefully acknowledges the support of
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Share our eNews to your communities
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