The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse < ...

and inequality, and is the peak body for the community services sector in Australia. It was formed in 1956. ACOSS is active in areas of

social policy Social policy is a plan or action of government or institutional agencies which aim to improve or reform society. Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize soci ...

, including

community sector The voluntary sector, independent sector, or civic sector is the realm of social activity undertaken by organizations that are non-governmental nonprofit organizations. This sector is also called the third sector, community sector, and nonprofit ...

policy, climate and energy,

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...

and tax, income support and employment,

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and housing authority, assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of Shelter (building), shelter. Housing ensures that members of so ...

and

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

, and

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse < ...

and inequality. Cassandra Goldie became CEO of ACOSS in July 10, who was previously the Director of the Sex Discrimination Unit at the Australian Human Rights Commission (HREOC). The ACOSS CEO is often interviewed by

Australian media Mass media in Australia spans traditional and digital formats, and caters mostly to its predominantly English-speaking population. It is delivered in a variety of formats including radio, television, paper, internet and IPTV. Varieties include ...

for comment and analysis on social matters and policies of the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...

Governance

ACOSS has a 9-person volunteer Board of Governors, elected according to the constitutio

adopted in August 2019.

Presidents

* June 2020 - present: Peter McNamara * January 2016 - June 2020: Tony Reidy * January 2015 - December 2016: Micaela Cronin * December 2013 - January 2015: Francis Lynch * November 2009 – November 2013: Simon Schrapel * May–November 2009: David Thompson (interim) * 2005-May 2009: Lin Hatfield Dodds * 2001-2005: Andrew McCallum * 1997-2000: Michael Raper * 1993-1997: Robert Fitzgerald * 1989-1993: Merle Mitchell * 1985-1989: Julian Disney

Members

Source:

State and Territory Councils of Social Service

* ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) * NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) * South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) * Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) * Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) * Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) * Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) * Western Australia Council of Social Service (WACOSS)

National constituency organization members

* Anti-Poverty Network SA *

Australian Unemployed Workers' Union The Australian Unemployed Workers' Union (AUWU), is an Australian union representing unemployed, underemployed and unwaged workers, including recipients of welfare payments and services in Australia. The AUWU is a national organisation, with di ...

* Children and Young People with Disability Australia * National Council of Single Mothers and their Children * Women With Disabilities Australia * YOUNG Campaigns * People with Disability Australia * Women With Disabilities Australia

National organization members

* Adult Learning Australia * Anglicare Australia * Anti-poverty Week * Asylum Seeker Resource Centre * Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council * Australian Association of Social Workers * Australian Baha’i Community * Australian Communications Consumer Action Network * Australian Community Workers Association * Australian Council of State School Organisations * Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations * Australian Federation of Disability Organisations * Australian Health Promotion Association * Australian Insulation Foundation * Australian Men’s Health Forum * Australian Pensioners & Superannuants Federation * Australian Red Cross * Australian Youth Affairs Coalition * Baptist Care Australia * Better Renting * Brotherhood of St Laurence * Carers Australia * Catholic Social Services Australia * Centre for Social Impact * CHOICE * Christians Against Poverty * cohealth * Community Colleges Australia * Community Housing Industry Association * Community Legal Centres Australia * Community Mental Health Australia * Community Transport Organisation * Consumer Action Law Centre * Consumers Health Forum of Australia * COTA Australia * DCSS Australia * Disability Advocacy Network Australia * Down Syndrome Australia * Economic Justice Australia * Edmund Rice Centre * Family Relationship Services Australia * Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia * Financial Counselling Australia * Foodbank Australia * Foundation for Young Australians * Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand * Good Things Foundation Australia * Goodstart Early Learning * Health Justice Australia * Homelessness Australia * Homes for Homes * HOST International * Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency * InfoXchange * Jobs Australia * Justice Connect * LGBTIQ+ Health Australia * Life Without Barriers * Lojic Institute * MacKillop Family Services * Mind Australia * Mission Australia * MS Australia * National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service * National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation * National Association of People with HIV Australia * National Association of Tenant Organisations * National Ethnic Disability Alliance * National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum * National Shelter * Office for Social Justice, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference * Oxfam Australia *

Playgroup Australia A pre-school playgroup, or in everyday usage just a playgroup, is an organised group providing care and socialisation for children under five. The term is widely used in the United Kingdom. Playgroups are less formal than the preschool education o ...

* Public Health Association of Australia * Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia *

Reconciliation Australia Reconciliation Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to promote a continuing national focus for reconciliation between Indigenous (i.e. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and non-Indige ...

* Relationships Australia * Save the Children * Secretariat of National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care * Settlement Council of Australia * Settlement Services International * Social Ventures Australia * Society of St Vincent de Paul National Council * Syndromes Without a Name (SWAN) Australia * The Benevolent Society * The Salvation Army Australia * The Smith Family * UnitingCare Australia * Volunteering Australia * WESNET * YMCA Australia * YWCA Australia

Associate Members

* Accordwest * ADRA Australia Limited * Anglicare Community Services * Anglicare Victoria * Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Ltd. (ACWA) * Australian Education Union (AEU) * Australian Refugee and Migrant Care Services Ltd * Australian Services Union (ASU) * AWARE Community * Berry Street * BeyondHousing * Blue Sky Community Services * Caboolture Community Care Inc * Cairns Alliance of Social Services * Canberra Community Law * Catholic Social Services Victoria * CentaCare New England North West * Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare * Centre for Women’s Economic Safety * Churches Housing Incorporated * Community Housing Industry Association NSW * Community Industry Group * Community Information and Support Victoria * Community Resources Limited * Container of Dreams * CORE Community Services * Cowra Information & Neighbourhood Centre * Energetic Communities * Family Support Newcastle * Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation * Financial Counsellors’ Association of WA * Financial Rights Legal Centre * Glebe Youth Service * Homelessness NSW * Illawarra Legal Centre * Institute of Child Protection Studies * Jannawi Family Centre * Lifetime Renewable Energy Pty Ltd * Lutheran Community Care * Melbourne’s Leading Nanny Agency * Mountains Community Resource Network (MCRN) * Muru Mittigar Limited * Nepean Community and Neighbourhood Services (NCNS) * One Future * Orphans and Widows West Africa Inc. * PeakCare Queensland Inc * Peninsula Community Legal Centre Inc. * Penrith City Council * Queensland Youth Housing Coalition * Rainbow Families Inc * Samaritans Foundation * Sector Connect * Single Mothers Lobby Alliance * Social Futures (Northern Rivers Social Development Council) * South East Community Links * South Port Community Housing Group Inc * Southern Youth and Family Services * St John’s Youth Services * Sydney Community Forum * Tangentyere Council Inc. * Tenants Queensland * Think+DO Tank Foundation * United Workers Union * Uniting Communities * Uniting Country SA * Welfare Rights Centre * Westgate Community Initiatives Group * WESTIR Ltd

References

External links

* {{Authority control Non-profit organisations based in New South Wales