ACOSS Reports & Submissions
Each year ACOSS prepares numerous submissions to the Federal Government. We also undertake research and produce reports on policy areas that impact disadvantaged Australians. The latest ACOSS submissions and topical papers appear below as downloadable links.
Most recent papers
June 2004
The survey examines key changes in the operating environment of Housing Services, major issues of concern to these organisations, and how they are responding. Indirectly, the survey also provide a sense of how Australian families are faring when accessing or attempting to access Housing Services.
ACOSS Info paper 357. Includes: Community Services sector. Housing services. The pressures upon delivery of service. Agency income, costs and insurance. Centrelink. Federal government policy changes effect upon housing service agencies.
May 2004
This survey report is based on an analysis of the sixth Australians Living on the Edge survey of the community services sector conducted by ACOSS and the state and territory Councils of Social Service in late 2003. The survey examines key changes in the operating environment of Children's Services, major issues of concern to these organisations, and how they are responding. Indirectly, the survey also provides a sense of how Australian families are faring when accessing or attempting to access Children's Services.
ACOSS Info paper 356. Includes: Children's services. Children's services agencies. Labour force. Agency costs. Pressures upon child services delivery, funding and insurance.
February 2004
ACOSS submits that there is a need for substantial increases in minimum wages over time to stem growing wage inequality and to enable low paid workers (with the support of the social security system where appropriate) to meet reasonable basic living costs. We respectfully submit that in the short term, the Commission should increase minimum wages so as to ensure that they do not fall any further behind movements in average wage rates. Over the medium-term, we propose that the Commission undertake an inquiry to ascertain an appropriate benchmark for the adequacy of minimum wages.
ACOSS Info paper 355. Includes: National Wage Cases Since 1996. Wage fixation. Social policy. Poverty alleviation. Safety net - minimum wage. Inequality. Growing gap between rich and poor. National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling (NATSEM). The Smith Family. Part time, casual and under-employed workers. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Social security. Employment/unemployment. Distributional impact of changes in minimum wages.
February 2004
Many low and middle income parents struggle with the costs of raising their children. Improving payments to families - such as Family Tax Benefit Parenting Payment and Child Care Benefit - is a fairer and more cost effective way to help these familiesthan across-the-board cuts in income tax.
ACOSS Paper 135. Includes: Cost of children. Family assistance payments. Earned income tax credits. ACOSS proposals for reform of payments. Benefits & costs of package.
January 2004
This is the sixth Australians Living on the Edge survey of the community services sector conducted by ACOSS and the state and territory Councils of Social Service. The survey examines key changes in the operating environment of community organisations, major issues of concern to organisations, and how the community services sector is responding. Indirectly, the survey also aims to provide a sense of how the primary users of community services - low-income and disadvantaged Australians - are faring.
ACOSS Paper 132. Includes: Community services survey of organisations.
December 2003
Includes: Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS). Community Legal Centres (CLC). Legal Aid funding. Legal Assistance Needs Project (LAN). Human rights. Family Law. Levels of self-representation. Community legal centres. Private legal profession and pro bono legal services.
November 2003
Includes: Housing. Health. Community services. Status of women. Human rights. Indigenous health. Reconciliation. Strengthening communities. Community and welfare sector. Canadian Council on Social Development. Rural development. Schools. Education. People living with HIV/AIDS.
November 2003
ACOSS Paper 131. Published by ACOSS, 2003.
Includes: Definition of hidden unemployment. Jobs growth. Impact hidden unemployment on economy. Joblessness. Centrelink. International approaches to measuring joblessness. ABS.
November 2003
Selected papers from the ACOSS Congress, 13-14 November 2003, Canberra. Papers by Anne Summers, Hugh Mackay, Gregory Phillips, Kerrie Tim, Karen Healy, Marcel Lauziere, Rick Farley, Mike Myers, Roy Martin, John Rule, Marc Purcell, Brigid Inder.
ACOSS Paper 132a. Includes: Women & equality. Social research. Age of anxiety. Aboriginal health. Indigenous disadvantage. Urban & rural communities. Canadian Council on Social Development. Land, environment & indigenous people. Community housing. Public education. People living with AIDS/HIV. Human rights.
October 2003
ACOSS Info paper 350. Published by ACOSS, 2003.
Includes: Attendance to university by lower socio-economic backgrounds. Attitudinal and financial factors effect upon university participation. HECS. Partial fee deregulation. Full-fee places. HECS repayment threshold. Increasing living expenses of students. Commonwealth learning scholarships.
