Australian Council of Social Service
Australian organization
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce poverty 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, including community sector policy, climate and energy, economics and tax, income support and employment, health, housing and homelessness, and poverty and inequality.
Cassandra Goldie became CEO of ACOSS in 10 July 2010. She was previously the Director of the Sex Discrimination Unit at the Australian Human Rights Commission (HREOC).
The CEO of ACOSS is often interviewed by Australian media for comment and analysis on social matters and policies of the Australian Government.
Governance
ACOSS has a 9-person volunteer Board of Governors, elected according to the constitution [1] adopted in August 2019.
Controversies
In 1991 Federal Opposition leader John Hewson accused
ACOSS of seeking to acquire more money than for welfare and making bureaucracies bigger than in helping those in poverty.[2]
Presidents
March 2023 - present: Hang Vo
June 2020 - December 2022: 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
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
Public Health Association of Australia
Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia
Reconciliation Australia
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.
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