And just like that we are in a new financial year! FRSA Executive Director, Jackie Brady, has sensibly marked the passing of 2024-25 with a week of respite from the bitter cold of a Canberra winter and will return to the office next week. Meanwhile, back at home the FRSA team is busy preparing for the months ahead. I take the opportunity to flag that our next Strategic Leadership Forum (a member-only event) will be held in Canberra 29-30 October this year. Please put a placeholder in your diaries and stay tuned for further details.

This week FRSA Policy & Project Officer Lisa Curtis and I were pleased to be able to attend PLACE’s Roadshow & Listening Tour Capstone Event (see more below). As many readers will be aware, PLACE (Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment) has been established to support place-based change around the country. Some FRSA members delivering the place-based program, Communities for Children Facilitating Partners (CfC FP), were involved in the Listening Tour and I know that many in the CfC FP network also joined PLACE’s Capstone event online.

It has been a harrowing week for many families in Victoria as news of the alleged sexual abuse of numerous children by a childcare worker has come to light. The safety and wellbeing of children and families is at the heart of the work of family and relationships services, and I know this news will have distressed many who work tirelessly to keep children safe and supported. The National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds has reiterated her call for National Cabinet to make child safety and wellbeing a key priority. Our thoughts are with all those impacted, including the majority of childcare workers who do an outstanding job caring for and educating our young children.

The FRSA team looks forward to working alongside you over 2025-26 and supporting you in the important work you do.

Kind regards,
Dr Robyn Clough
Acting Executive Director

Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions is the 26th research report published by the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership, which was formed to build support for action to address poverty and inequality through a combination of rigorous research and advocacy

The study surveyed 1,019 people who rent in the private sector across Australia to understand the experience of renting in the Australian private rental sector. The report will inform ongoing discussion of rental housing policy in a market where rents have surged by 47 per cent in the past five years.

The study found that:

• a third of renters would be unable to afford their rent if it went up by 5%
• half of renters (50%) live in homes that need repairs and one in 10 need urgent repairs (10%)
• Most renters (68%) express at least some level of concern that a request for repairs could result in a rent increase, and more than half are concerned that doing so could result in eviction or blacklisting (56% and 52% respectively).

The report is available here.

Reconciliation Australia recently released data which found that 85% of Australians surveyed believe the relationship between non-Indigenous and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is important.

The 2024 Australian Reconciliation Barometer (ARB) is a survey Reconciliation Australia conducts every two years. The ARB tracks how First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous Australians feel about each other, and what they think about important issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Reconciliation Australia has released the 2024 data as a series of snapshots:

• Workplace RAP Barometer
• Multicultural Australians
• Young Australians
• Racism and First Nations Peoples

You can find out more about the Australian Reconciliation Barometer on Reconciliation Australia’s website.

Anglicare Australia has released its annual Cost of Living Index, which examines how living costs are impacting households on low incomes. Each year, the Index focuses on a different group. This year’s edition examines households earning the minimum wage.

The findings show that full-time work is not enough to keep people out of poverty:

• a full-time minimum wage worker has just $33 is left each week after covering essential expenses like rent, transport and food
• a single parent on the minimum wage has just $1 left, even with government assistance
• a family with two full-time workers and two children has only $5 remaining each week.

The report recommends a number of structural reforms to alleviate and ideally remedy what is described as a “policy failure.”

You can download the report here.

The Productivity Commission is inviting submissions on its Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement Review interim report.

The review of the National Agreement involves assessing the impact of programs delivered under the Agreement and making recommendations for the Agreement that aim to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, affordability and safety of the mental health and suicide prevention system.

The Commission released its interim report on 25 June 2025 describing the National Agreement in a media release as “fundamentally flawed”. The interim report found that little progress has been made to strengthening collaboration and improving outcomes for people with lived and living experience of mental ill health and suicide.

Submissions close Thursday 31 July 2025. The interim report is available here.

The new National Access to Justice Partnership 2025-30 (NAJP), which replaces the National Legal Assistance Partnership 2020-25, commenced on 1 July.

The NAJP is a five-year agreement between Commonwealth and state and territory governments, working in partnership, to enhance access to justice for people experiencing vulnerability and financial disadvantage.

The NAJP will:

• provide essential legal assistance services to people who are unable to afford private legal services including in family, civil, administrative and criminal law
• focus on providing services for women and children who are escaping or at risk of experiencing family and domestic violence
• provide culturally appropriate legal assistance services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

The Attorney-General the Hon Michelle Rowland MP has announced two Australian Government grant opportunities.

Services Responding to Child Sexual Abuse and Children who have Displayed Harmful Sexual Behaviours

Government has opened a $12.2 million grant round to expand the capacity and capability of existing services who are supporting victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, and children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours. The grant opportunity will provide funding of up to $200,000 per year, per organisation over three years.

Applications for the grant round are now open and will close at 9 pm AEST 28 July 2025. For more information about the grant opportunity, and to apply, visit GrantConnect.

Community Legal Service grants to improve access to justice

The government will award $67.5 million over 5 years to 14 grant recipients under the Community Legal Services Program 2025-2030 grant opportunity.

The funding will support essential legal services to keep the justice system within reach for people facing disadvantage, including by providing timely and appropriate legal assistance to women, children and young people, people experiencing family and gender-based violence, those representing themselves in court and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Funding will be provided to a number of national legal assistance peaks, national services and self-representation services which provide legal support to unrepresented individuals in the justice system.

FRSA was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Rohan Feegrade, CEO Lutheran Care on 22 June.

Rohan was appointed CEO of Lutheran Care in 2018 and has been described by his colleagues as a ‘bold leader’, ‘trusted collaborator’ and ‘a steady, visionary force who led with courage and conviction’. Acting CEO Percy Henry reflected, “His compassion, belief in human dignity, and unwillingness to give up on himself or others inspired all of us who had the privilege to work with him.”

Lutheran Care’s tribute to Rohan captures the many achievements of the Lutheran Care team under Rohan’s leadership and the amazing legacy he leaves. Board Chair Syliva Andersons said, “He was a driving force behind initiatives that will benefit thousands for years to come”.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Rohan’s family, friends and colleagues.

Farewell Simon

Uniting Communities (SA) has farewelled outgoing Chief Executive Simon Schrapel AM after 15 years at the helm.

In late 2024, Simon announced he would be stepping away from the role in mid-2025. Uniting Communities staff and residents recently gathered to honour Simon’s contribution with Board Chair Nigel Hall reflecting, “Today we say farewell – not just to a CEO, but to an extraordinary leader whose legacy will echo in every corner of this organisation.”

FRSA congratulates Simon on his many achievements in his time with Uniting Communities and we wish him all the best for his future adventures.

Welcome Jeremy

Welcome to Jeremy Brown, Uniting Communities new Chief Executive.

Jeremy has over 20 years of experience in the community, social and for-purpose sectors, and has led the expansion of services across homelessness support, child protection, youth employment, family support, settlement services and assistive technology. Jeremy is passionate about fostering a strong organisational culture centred on the people it serves.

Congratulations Jeremy! FRSA looks forward to working with you.

The Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ) at RMIT University is inviting practitioners to participate in a focus group as part of The IVY Study: Towards an Australian response to the use of Intimate partner Violence by Young people.

The IVY Study seeks to map and understand the different ways in which the system is currently responding to young people’s use of IPV, including where and how it is being identified or disclosed. In doing so, this national study aims to contribute to the development of a considered, consistent and best practice service response.

CIJ wants to talk with practitioners and other frontline professionals based anywhere in Australia who are currently working with young people who use IPV. You might work in specialist programs, justice agencies or services working with young people in relation to their wider needs (such as mental health, AOD, homelessness or legal support). You may also work in adult-focussed interventions, such as MBCPs, but work with young people (under 25 years) in these contexts.

This study is being carried out in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) and the Centre for Family Research and Evaluation (CFRE) at Drummond Street Services.

To find out more about the project and participating in the focus groups follow this link.

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year’s theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy and 2025 NAIDOC Week marks 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. You can support and get to know your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities through activities and events held across the country.

Find out what NAIDOC Week events are happening across the country.

If you have any events you’d like listed on the FRSA Events and Training Calendar or job vacancies you’d like listed on the FRSA Jobs Board, email Communications Officer, Vanessa Lam at communications@frsa.org.au. Please note that posting onto the FRSA website is reserved for FRSA Members only.

If you have an news item or event that you would like to be featured in a future eBulletin please submit your announcement via the form below or email communications@frsa.org.au with the subject “FRSA eBulletin submission”.

Please note FRSA members receive priority for items posted in the eBulletin. And to keep information current, relevant and useful, submissions will not be repeated from week to week.