My thoughts are with all those impacted by devastating floods that once again hit parts of NSW displacing many – not for the first time – from their homes. As outlined in our eBulletin, the ACNC is providing automatic AIS reporting extensions to charities in postcodes affected by the floods. With the floods hitting just as we entered the new financial year, we hope that other regulatory and government agencies will also consider the heavy reporting burdens facing social service organisations – particularly as they are called upon once again to support Australians in a time of such crisis.
The new Federal Government has announced that on 22 July it will host its first meeting of federal, state and territory ministers responsible for issues impacting women, including women’s safety. While the spotlight has been on women’s and children’s safety for some time now it feels as though few inroads have been made – not helped by the pressures of the pandemic on family relationships. FRSA members have certainly anecdotally reported increases in clients presenting with family violence issues over the past two years or so. We highlight a few recent reports on family violence in our latest edition of the eBulletin that I think point to the need to keep the full spectrum of policy responses to family and domestic violence in clear view. This includes early education of our young people through to ensuring women and children are fully supported to rebuild their lives free of violence.
Last week was NAIDOC week and it was wonderful to see so many FRSA members celebrating the rich histories and achievements of our First Nations peoples. The theme this year, Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! calls for broad-based support for systemic, structural change. To this end, it is encouraging that the Government has fully committed to implementing in full the Uluru Statement from the Heart, accepting the offer of a genuine partnership. This includes the commitment to a referendum on a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament and establishing a Makarrata Commission with responsibility for truth-telling and treaty.
I take this opportunity to remind friends and members of FRSA that we are recruiting for a project officer to deliver communities of practice for five programs under the Department of Social Services’ Families and Children Activity. Given these CoPs will be run online – we are casting our employment net further afield and are happy to accept applications from across Australia. For more information about this exciting opportunity have a closer look at the PD.
