''The Big Issue'' in Australia is a
street newspaper which began in 1996. The Australian edition of the paper is a project of the UK-based ''
The Big Issue
''The Big Issue'' is a street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. ''The Big Issue'' is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or individ ...
''. The first magazine was launched in Australia on the steps of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
’s
Flinders Street railway station
Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders Street, Melbourne, Flinders and Swanston Street, Swanston streets in the Melbourne city centre, central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria (Austral ...
on 16 June 1996.
Since its founding in 1996, about 7,000 street vendors have sold more than 13 million copies of the magazine, collectively earning more than $31 million. Today, the magazine sells for $9.
At the paper's headquarters in Melbourne, the publication of each new edition includes a launch breakfast for local vendors. The editor then goes through what’s in the edition and receives feedback from vendors.
[
]
People
Steven Persson is the paper's CEO.
Amy Hetherington is the magazine's editor.
Vendors
In Australia, vendors are homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds, including those suffering from mental health conditions or drug addictions.
Housing support project
In 2015 The Big Issue Australia founded a project called Homes for Homes, an initiative that will help raise an ongoing supply of new funding for social and affordable houses. The voluntary initiative encourages homeowners, property developers and banks to make a tax deductible donation of 0.1 per cent of their property price, at the time they sell. Funds raised through Homes for Homes are distributed to social housing providers to build properties based on the areas of greatest housing need.
See also
* Homelessness in Australia
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Issue (Australia), The
Magazines published in Australia
Street newspapers
Magazines established in 1996
1996 establishments in Australia
Homelessness in Australia
Magazines published in Melbourne