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Civil society calls for urgent action on the National Anti-Racism Framework

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Civil society calls for urgent action on the National Anti-Racism Framework

SSI, ACOSS, FECCA, SCOA, CCA and RCOA

One year after the Australian Human Rights Commission launched the country’s first national roadmap to eliminate racism, 54 civil society organisations are calling on the Australian government to urgently fund and implement the National Anti-Racism Framework.

Released by in November 2024 following extensive community consultation, the Framework outlines 63 recommendations for a whole-of-society approach to tackling racism across Australia’s legal, justice, health, education, media and arts systems.

Despite the significance of this milestone, the federal government has since taken no steps to resource or implement the Framework.

In a statement coordinated by the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA), the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia), the Community Council for Australia (CCA) and SSI, the organisations call on the government to immediately commit to the Framework’s first two recommendations:

  • Fully commit to the National Anti-Racism Framework.
  • Establish a National Anti-Racism Taskforce to oversee its implementation, including dedicated plans to address racism against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other affected communities.

Former AFLW player and advocate, Akec Makur Chuot

“Racism has no place in a country that prides itself on fairness and opportunity. As someone who came to Australia seeking safety, I know what dignity and respect can mean for a persons future. The Australia of we are one, and from all the lands on earth we come to share a dream. That’s the Australia I hope we can get back too because this divided Australia I don’t recognise. Every community deserves to feel safe, valued and included – whether on the field, at work or in every day life.”

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis:

“Australia’s diversity is one of our greatest strengths, but racism threatens the cohesion that underpins it. We cannot afford to wait — national leadership, real investment and long-term commitment are needed to build a future where every person is treated with dignity and respect. The National Anti-Racism Framework reflects what communities have been calling for: coordinated, practical action. We urge the Australian Government to fully fund and implement the Framework without delay.”

ACOSS CEO Dr Cass Goldie

“Racism causes deep harm to people, families, and communities. The National Anti-Racism Framework provides a clear pathway to ensuring every person in Australia is safe, respected and treated with dignity. ACOSS urges the government to listen to communities, tackle discrimination wherever it occurs, and adopt the Framework’s recommendations without delay.”

Community Council for Australia CEO David Crosbie

The just, fair, safe, inclusive, equal opportunity and united Australia we want will never by realised by accident, or inertia.  The data tells us almost everywhere we care to look that racism is systemic and structural.  We see it in the overrepresentation of First Nations children in our justice system, the bias conscious and unconscious in employment, the fracturing and disadvantage in community.  Creating the Australia we want starts with implementing policy that will drive change, investing in community and acting proactively and with determination to create the kind of society we want to live in.  A framework for change does nothing sitting on a shelf – time to implement.

RCOA Deputy CEO Adama Kamara

Racism harms not just the individuals who experience it, but all of us. It undermines the ability of people from refugee backgrounds to settle, rebuild, and to successfully contribute to society. Racism sows mistrust throughout the community, and is damaging to the wider society. The National Anti-Racism Framework sets out the structural reforms that refugee communities have long called for.

SCOA Chair Melissa Monteiro

“Racism continues to undermine the safety, wellbeing, and full participation of many communities across Australia. Newly arrived migrants and refugees, in particular, face barriers that limit their ability to settle, to belong, and to contribute their full potential. The National Anti-Racism Framework is a vital roadmap that reflects years of consultation and the lived experience of the communities we serve. It is now time for decisive action. We urge the Australian Government to fully commit to the Framework and establish the National Anti-Racism Taskforce so that meaningful, coordinated reform can begin.

FECCA Chairperson Peter Doukas

“Racism is happening in classrooms, workplaces, hospitals, public spaces and online and it often compounds harms from discrimination linked to disability, gender, age, and socio-economic disadvantage. The Government needs to commit to funding and implementing the National Anti-Racism Framework’s recommendations. It is critical in improving health outcomes, strengthening community safety, boosting economic productivity, and building stronger civic participation.”

Sign on in support here.

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Report from the COP31 Canberra Basecamp, September 2024

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Report from the COP31 Canberra Basecamp, September 2024

On 12 September 2024, climate advocates from across Australia, the Pacific, and the world came together on the Country of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples to share stories, ideas, plans, food and song.

The day consisted of talanoa, workshops on COP31 strategy and advocacy and learning meetings with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), the Tongan High Commission and the British High Commission.

 

DOWNLOAD: https://communitycouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Report_COP31-Canberra-Base-Camp.pdf

Report from the COP31 Canberra Basecamp, September 2024 Read More »

Media Release – Australia is going backwards on key measures when it comes to the kind of communities we want to live in

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Media Release - Australia is going backwards on key measures when it comes to the kind of communities we want to live in


Australian charities release major new report showing Australia is going backwards on key measures when it comes to the kind of communities we actually want to live in.

The Australia we want, Third Report reveals Australians have become less generous and less likely to volunteer time to charity (and are giving less to charity).  Women feel less safe walking alone at night when compared to many other countries and Australia’s incarceration rate has climbed to become almost twice that of Canada’s and five times higher than Japan.  At the current time there are 18,000 un-sentenced prisoners awaiting their fate.

Community Council for Australia’s CEO, David Crosbie, says the negatives in the report clearly outweigh the positives for most States and Territories.

  • Australians have become less generous.
  • Australians are less likely to volunteer time to charity.
  • Less people are now giving to charities.
  • A lower percentage of income is now being allocated to poorer countries than is the case in most OECD countries.
  • Australian women clearly feel less safe walking alone at night compared to many other countries.

The positives are also worth noting.

  • Women are now making up more of our workplace and the gender pay gap is reducing
  • Our education attainment levels are rising including for Indigenous students
  • Suicide is trending down in all but one jurisdiction
  • The ACT and NSW are the top-scoring jurisdictions, while Victoria and Tasmania round out the bottom of the ranking tables.

David Crosbie said, “Charity leaders believe Australia can be a much better place if governments look well beyond the economy as a measure of success and start investing in making Australia a much fairer, safer, more just and more generous community that is also inclusive.”

“One of the deep concerns in this report is that Australians appear to have accepted the idea that we should simply lock up more and more citizens, at a greater expense to taxpayers, when there is no great gain in crime reduction.  It is disturbing beyond measure that Australia’s current incarceration rate is almost twice that of Canada, double most European countries and five times that of Japan.  Clearly, we could and should do better.”

“In the middle of an election campaign where it seems it is all about how much money each political party can offer voters, we would have like more discussion about some of these critical areas like incarceration rates. Australia now has 18,000 un-sentenced prisoners waiting to be sentenced.  A third of our prisoners have disabilities and chronic health conditions.  Over a third are Indigenous.  80% of prisoners have not completed secondary schooling.”

The Australia we want Third Report is the latest comprehensive review of Australia’s performance set against values-based measures developed by charity leaders.

In 2015, Community Council for Australia brought together 60 major charity leaders to identify what kind of Australia they wanted to see in the future.  Charity leaders selected a series of measures.

David Crosbie added, “During this current Federal Election campaign, you could easily be forgiven for thinking Australia is ultimately nothing more than an economy.  As a community we are so much more than that.

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The Australia we want, Third Report

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What kind of Australia do we want to live in and what is our role in achieving it?

The Australia we want, Third Report

The Community Council for Australia is committed to achieving a better Australia through strengthening the role and effectiveness of charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Most debates about Australia’s future have been limited by a seemingly exclusive fixation on the type of economy to be achieved. As Rev Tim Costello highlights in his Overview, Australians are more than individual tax paying economic units. Our productivity, innovation, skills and achievements are grounded in flourishing communities within our schools, workplaces, families and local neighbourhoods.

In 2015, a group of 60 leaders from across the charities and not-for-profit sector were asked to consider and discuss ways in which they might describe the Australia we want. Through this process a listing of key values was identified.

The Australia we want is just, fair, safe, inclusive, equal of opportunity, united, authentic, creative, confident, courageous, kind, generous and compassionate. The leaders then developed measures that would show whether the values they had prioritised were being achieved.

This third report presents the latest comprehensive review of Australia’s performance against these agreed values- based measures. It is an ongoing journey to a stronger and more resilient Australia, a journey we need to imagine, plan for, enact and monitor. It is about owning our future and creating the Australia we want.

CCA acknowledges the generous support of the AMP Foundation in making this report possible.

The Australia we want, Third Report Read More »

Media Release – New research – Charities matter to communities and voters

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Media Release - New Report - Charities matter to communities and to voters

 

Community Perceptions Survey Charities 2025A major new report from the Community Council for Australia (CCA), working with Piazza Research, has been released in the run up to the Federal Election.

A sample of over 4,600 representative voters were polled about a range of issues.  The survey has revealed there is deep concern about what is happening to charities on a national and local level. 

CCA CEO David Crosbie says the trend is for Australia to become a more inward looking, selfish country (less people giving and volunteering) and that charities need and deserve much more support from governments, funders and the community. 

The new survey released today – The Community Perception Survey (Charities) – reveals there is widespread support for local MPs to achieve key charity sector goals. David Crosbie said:

  • 92% of people said it is now time charities had the staff, volunteers and capacity to offer better services to the community.
  • 92% of people said it is vital to make it much easier for people to actually give to charities and said major reforms are needed to do this.
  • 91% want experienced and knowledgeable charities to be in the Government’s planning or policy priorities.
  • 91% of those surveyed said they wanted to see productivity and support boosted.
  • 86% of the people in the survey say the new Federal Government should appoint a Minister to look after charities.

David Crosbie said, “It’s very clear that in marginal electorates, voter support for election candidates is partly about their engagement with charities and support for positive charity policies.”

“The bottom line is the vast majority of our charities are underfunded and cost of living issues are impacting on local charities and community groups in a huge way.  Charities also face massive amounts of red tape.”

“Without doubt, it’s got harder and harder for local charities.  Across the sector income has risen by just 8% but staffing costs alone have gone up by at least 11%.  Charities are facing bigger and bigger costs to do their business and unlike small business there is no support for cybersecurity, staff skills development, energy transition, research and development, data use and privacy, capital investment in infrastructure and capacity, or climate change adaptation.”

“Although charities employ over 10% of Australia’s workforce, engage over 3.5 million volunteers, and turn over more than $200 billion (8% of Australia’s GDP), there is no government department to promote charity productivity, no charity ombudsman, not one Federal official outside of the charities regulator whose job is to monitor and promote the sector.”

“Charities matter to our communities, to our economy, to our productivity and wellbeing, but our issues are not taken seriously, and that needs to change.”

“For most marginal electorates that were surveyed, up to 66% of electors are much more likely to vote for a candidate who can improve government policy for charities.  It is important to note, 51% of undecided voters say this issue would influence the way they vote.”

David Crosbie added, “It is very clear from the survey that voters expect to see a stronger collaboration between Government and charities.  The vast majority of electors (between 87% to 99%) believe it is vital that their MP encourages the Australian Government to work much more closely with charities.”

“On top of this, 65% to 80% of people in the survey want their MP to meet with charity sector representatives.  Obviously, voters believe we can do so much better.”

“These compelling findings clearly demonstrate that in Australia’s marginal electorates, charity policy and the involvement of MPs are absolutely significant factors influencing voters’ decisions.  It is clear too that candidates who are very proactive in supporting the charity sector will improve their standing amongst voters – especially swing voters.”

David Crosbie added, “Unfortunately one of the very real problems in the charity sector is organisations tend to advocate for their cause and their purpose (the communities they serve) rather than advocating for themselves or their sector.”

The Community Council for Australia (CCA) is an independent non-political member-based organisation supporting charities and the not-for-profit sector in Australia.

Read the full report:  Community Perceptions Survey (Charities) March 2025, Piazza Research

Infographic of findings from survey

Media Release – New research – Charities matter to communities and voters Read More »

Media Release: Where’s the community in climate action? 

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Media - Release: Where’s the community in climate action?

We won’t fix global, unless we talk local

 

Over the last week most us will have checked in with friends and family in South East Queensland and Northern NSW.  With four million battening down, schools closed, evacuation centres open and the ADF on standby, most Australians knew someone in the uncertain path of TC Alfred. 

Now there’s mostly collective relief.  ‘Dodged a bullet’.  Buckets, mops and chainsaws are at work, and the power and the phones are slowly being reconnected. 

Until next time.

David Crosbie, CEO of the Community Council for Australia said one of the remarkable things about Alfred, was the slow-motion unfolding of havoc and prolonged rekindling of memories and trauma from not-so-long-ago disasters: ‘We knew there was great potential for disaster. Government and communities knew they had to prepare.  And we knew people and communities would need support before, during and after.’

Mr Crosbie said that unlike a lot of discussion about climate change there was a direct connection between talking about the impact of severe weather and what we wanted for our communities.

‘There was a sense of we are all in this together.  There was a collective goal to see each other through.  To keep people safe, and to restore lives and communities.  And there was urgency.  

Unfortunately, the same sense of urgency is not being attached to investing in our community capacity to prepare, respond, recover and adapt to future disasters and climate change.  A lot of what we do seems to involve wishful thinking about communities coming together.  Why aren’t we investing more in supporting community building infrastructure?’

In a week where Sydney is hosting over 200 events to advance our response to climate change, Mr Crosbie says we are a long way from centring community in our response to the biggest slow-motion multi-pronged threat to our future.  And that’s a fundamental problem.

‘When we are focused on the experience of people and community, we begin talking less about the science, the forecasts and the responses in big amorphous terms, and more about what they mean for our everyday lives and our local community.’ 

‘It’s no accident that those who seek to undermine climate action by dividing communities are very good at this.  They talk about local jobs, power lines, your power bill and the intrusion of windfarms on local countryside.  They divide communities by working from the ground up.’

Mr Crosbie said that until communities are engaging with the impacts of climate change and opportunities of energy transition in the same conversation as the one about the kind of future and opportunities they want for their community, their children and their children’s children, there is a disconnect.’

‘It is a disconnect we need to fix if we are to embrace the opportunities of a renewables future and build unity and the responses we need to climate change locally, nationally and globally.’

As Australia seeks to co-host COP31with the Pacific in 2026 (the UN climate conference seeking to save the planet), Mr Crosbie said the road to delivering for people, planet, peace and prosperity begins by engaging with and investing in communities, listening to their voices and connecting their local experience, knowledge and aspirations to national and global agenda for an inclusive response to climate change. 

On Friday, that’s the focus of the closing session of Climate Action Week.  Community advocates will be telling their stories – they will be putting community into the climate discussion.  From the Kimberley to Terrey Hills, from Bankstown to the Tiwi Islands, from Wombarra to the Pacific, from local to global.

 

More information:

Media Release: Where’s the community in climate action?  Read More »

Govt inaction is hurting embattled charity sector

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Media Release

Govt inaction is hurting embattled charity sector

Leaders frustrated as Government falls short on promised reforms

The nation’s charity sector has delivered an adverse assessment on the Albanese government’s failure to act on its own reform agenda, and to ease the burden on organisations that are delivering urgent cost of living help to those most in need.

A new survey of charity CEOs found that at least 2 out 3 leaders criticised the government’s inaction and lack of progress on a raft of important issues facing the charity sector.

It found heavy criticism of the lack of progress in cutting red tape, ensuring the safety of volunteers and paying charities what it actually costs to deliver the services funded by government grants.

“At a time when so many Australians are relying on charities to survive this cost of living crisis it’s disappointing and frustrating that the government has failed to deliver on so many of its promises to help the sector,” the CEO of the Community Council of Australia, David Crosbie, said.

“These findings raise urgent questions about how effectively the Government is delivering on its promises to safeguard the heart and soul of our communities, the charities and not-for-profit sector.”

The survey by Piazza Research, surveyed the CCA Charity Expert Panel – a group of 56 leaders and CEOs from key charity and Not-for-Profit organisations – to assess the effectiveness of Government commitments to the sector.

It found:

      • 77% of leaders said there was insufficient action to ensure government tenders and grants adequately funded staffing levels, fair wages and conditions.
      • 84% responded negatively to the lack of progress in cutting red tape and reducing costs
      • While 70% of leaders highlighted the lack of progress in efforts to recruit volunteers and ensure safety, particularly in the context of natural disasters and COVID-19.

There was also a chronic lack of progress highlighted in helping charities bridge the technological divide, reforming funding models to allow long-term planning and inaction on the implementation of the 2010 Productivity Commission Report recommendations on the not-for-profit sector.

The Community Council of Australia has previously warned that the cost of living crisis has put so much additional pressure on the sector that some charities are having to cut back on the services they provide.

“For years charities have been saying the real costs of providing services to our communities is much higher than the funding being provided,” Mr Crosbie said.

“The ongoing lack of substantive progress in critical areas—especially those that directly affect the operational capacity of charities—highlights the misalignment between the Government’s stated priorities and its execution.”

  1. The full report produced by Piazza Research is available here: Australian Charities State of the Sector Report

Media Contacts:

Deborah Smith, 0418 244 883 deborahs@communitycouncil.com.au
David Crosbie, 0419 624 420  davidc@communitycouncil.com.au

Govt inaction is hurting embattled charity sector Read More »

Federal Budget

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Pre-Budget Submission

COP31 Collaboration Group - Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26

Submission to: The Treasury and Ministers

Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for the Environment and Water
Minister for Indigenous Australians
Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Minister for Emergency Management
Minister for Industry and Science
Assistant Minister for Competition,
Charities and Treasury

Introduction

This submission supports the leadership of the Australian Government in seeking to host COP31 in partnership with the Pacific and a COP Presidency that advances the global climate agenda by integrating action on climate change to benefit our communities, our economy and our future. It outlines key measures the COP31 Collaboration Group (CCG) believes will significantly strengthen Australia’s leadership role in addressing climate change both nationally and internationally.

It is important to note that this submission does not override the policy positions outlined in any individual Federal Budget submissions from CCG members. The focus of this submission is solely on measures to enhance a Pacific COP31 in 2026.

The content of this submission includes: a brief background to the CCG and to COP31; a summative listing of proposed measures; further details about the costing of proposals; and a conclusion. 

Australia confronts growing costs of living, global economic challenges, the impact of climate change and an increase in the frequency of natural disaster, and the enduring impact of pandemic, global conflict and other events. 

A government committed to building economic strength, social resilience and productivity across our communities will actively encourage and invest in climate change leadership and action, both globally and across Australian communities.  With COP31 less than two years away, taking on a leadership role will require a significant investment of time and expertise to ensure COP31 is successful and effective.

CCG welcomes this opportunity to provide input into the Federal Budget process and would welcome any further opportunities to engage in more detailed discussion about any issues this submission raises.

The COP31 Collaboration Group (CCG)

Over the past eighteen months, a range of partners from community, business, finance, academia, climate and nature have come together to establish the COP31 Collaboration Group (CCG) (Attachment A).  Our aim is to connect people, planet, peace and prosperity into narratives, actions and advocacy to ensure that an Australian COP Presidency in partnership with the Pacific delivers for communities, for the planet, for our economies and for our future, by influencing and enhancing:

    • Public discourse
    • Individual and community engagement and empowerment
    • Government policy, action and ambition
    • Business and investment decisions
    • COP31 global ambition.

The CCG collectively seeks to grow, amplify, connect and nurture working groups and networks – existing and new – that address and advance these themes:

  1. People – learning from First Nations and Pacific peoples to lead for people, planet, peace and prosperity (First Nations led engagement, supported by research, amplifying First Nations’ and Pacific experience, leadership and voices)
  2. Community – our say, our stories, our needs, our opportunities (community engagement)
  3. Economy and government – transition for prosperity (the renewable and economically inclusive super-power story from investment, business, unions) and the leadership and enabling roles of government
  4. Environment – achieving climate goals through COP31.

COP31 – the opportunity

The science is clear. We are cooking our planet and our future. Australian governments and communities are already facing the increased risk and uncertainty of a climate changing world that is increasingly impacting and threatening wellbeing, lives, livelihoods and productivity. 

The Albanese Government has the opportunity to take a leading global role in efforts to curb climate change and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pacific nations who are bearing the brunt of rising seas and extreme weather.  Pacific nations are world leaders in advocating urgent climate action.  Creating a platform through the COP process for Australia and the Pacific to amplify the call by the region for far greater action on climate change is an historic opportunity. The bid to co-host COP31 with the Pacific signals Australia is ready to take on a global leadership role and to respond with ambition to Pacific priorities.

A Pacific COP31 is a game-changing opportunity to embrace a whole-of-society approach to engagement about climate change and a resilient future. Done well, it will help ensure that the complex negotiations between nations deliver the outcomes our world needs and see the world’s biggest tradeshow and COP Presidency showcase and fast track Australia’s capacity to be a global leader in climate solutions and a renewable energy super-power. Domestically, it is a golden opportunity to proactively and positively engage all Australians and communities in discussion about the impact climate change is having in our lives and to empower people to make a tangible difference.

The bid to co-host COP31 offers Australia the chance to position our nation and our economy to flourish in the global transition required to respond to climate change.  It requires several critical steps. First, Australia must exit fossil fuels out of our economy, second it must seize the economic and social opportunity that the renewable revolution represents, and finally through our leadership in COP31, enhance our status and credibility as a member of the Pacific community and world leader in international development, climate and global diplomacy.

These steps will transform COP31 from a UN meeting held in Australia to one in which Australia with the Pacific could lead the way in transforming world systems and providing a roadmap for effective climate action during this critical decade.

COP31 is our chance to deliver real change for people, the climate and nature.  Real change can only be achieved by governments, communities, business and investors acting together.  We start building success by building engagement.

Proposed budget measures

The CCG are committed to ensuring a Pacific COP31 in 2026 has a sustainable positive impact on climate change and integrates climate action into economic opportunity, resilience and into the lived experience of people in their families, communities, workplaces and with their governments.

To achieve this outcome will require significant Federal Government investment, particularly in the lead up to COP31.

The CCG believe the key to delivering a successful COP31 is engagement, including globally, in the Pacific, and at home, across sectors, and deep into our communities.  We welcome the work of Australia’s Climate Change Ambassador and recommend the following actions to provide the foundations for local engagement to support Australia’s climate leadership ambition.

  1. Establish six fully resourced COP31 envoys

The CCG recommends the establishment of six fully resourced COP31 envoys whose works starts now, building broad and deep engagement within and across sectors with the opportunities that flow from embracing the transition to renewables and taking meaningful action on climate change. This engagement will support the bid to host COP31 and lay important foundations for the delivery of a successful and remarkable COP and COP Presidency. 

Envoys are intended to support (not replace) the engagement structures Australia and the Pacific might choose to put in place to support COP31 and the COP Presidency, such as ‘Friends of COP31’, a ‘C31’ (which could embrace processes and learnings from the C20/G20) and the UN Climate Change High Level Champions for COP31.

Each COP31 envoy will develop and implement engagement strategies that deliver whole-of-sector buy-in to address climate change in each key area of the COP31 process. This will require considerable resources and the development of many partnerships across multiple sectors. There will need to be events, many forms of learning opportunities, research, campaigns, consultations, information platforms and incentive mechanisms. The envoys will need to build teams of COP31 champions to boost engagement and buy-in to COP31.

We recommend envoys in the following areas:

1.1 COP31 First Nations and Pacific Envoy

Learning from First Nations and Pacific peoples to lead COP31 for people, planet, peace and prosperity. This envoy will prioritise First Nations-led engagement including the potential to engage with the COP Indigenous caucus and the emerging proposal for an Indigenous Troika process (which will include Brasil, Australia, the Pacific and the host of COP32).  The work of this envoy will be supported by research and will create opportunities to amplify First Nation and Pacific experience, participation, leadership and voices. It is not an option to ignore the experience of First Nations peoples or to not address the need for climate justice.

1.2 COP31 Community Engagement, Charities and Not-for-profits Envoy

Community adaptation, prevention and reduction of emissions, resilience, response and recovery are all critical to communities across Australia and the Pacific, and around the world. As is the economic impact and opportunities of energy transition. Ensuring communities and their organisations have an active role in COP31 will be critical to ensuring real and sustainable change.

1.3 COP31 Economy and Business Envoy

The engine room of change will be business decision-making and strengthening the economies of climate change action in Australia and around the world.  Working pro-actively with business will be a critical aspect of developing an effective COP31.

1.4 COP31 Finance, Investment and International Development Envoy

Access to capital, climate finance and private and public sector investment will all play a pivotal role as economies adapt to a climate changing world.  This envoy will work to promote the opportunities for climate investment to drive productivity and economic growth, while also ensuring a climate equity lens informs investment and public policy decision-making in COP31.

1.5 COP31 Governments and Policy Envoy

Engagement in addressing climate change needs to be a key priority for all governments and policy makers. This will not just happen without active engagement.

1.6 COP31 Environment Change Envoy

The end goal of any COP is to make the world safer, resilient and reduce the harm humans are causing. This envoy will engage with all parties to refine and promote effective action to address climate change.

Each envoy will need a budget allocation of at least $5 million per annum, given the work required and the need to start immediately to achieve maximum impact.

In the context of the overall costs of climate change and the cost of running a COP, this is a relatively small ask of $30 million per annum to underwrite the work of six COP31 envoys.

  1. COP31 Co-ordination Support

Independent of the work of the COP31 envoys, the Federal Government will need to fund co-ordination across all six envoy areas, and the linking and connecting of all the unofficial effort already started around COP31 into structures and processes to inform the actual COP31 meeting, the COP Presidency and follow-up.  This is not so much about increasing engagement as ensuring different parts of the COP31 engagement work are aware of each other and collaborating towards shared goals.  This coordination will support the efforts of Australia’s Climate Change and First Nations Ambassadors and the leadership of the Australian Government.

Co-ordination is also an opportunity to harness and embed authentic partnership and community accountability into the preparation and delivery of COP31.

Those who handbrake climate action often do so by seeking to divide communities. There is a clear opportunity to put people at the centre of COP31 and to recognise that people across ideological and political spectrums in our communities essentially want the same things: a secure future on a healthy planet, wellbeing, and economic opportunities for their children and their children’s children.  We build the social license essential for progressing climate action and realising energy transition from common ground, shared aspiration and accountability to community.

A co-ordination body that seeks to support accountability to community and to the climate science will position Australia and the Pacific well to host a successful COP31.

We envisage this body to be co-chaired by the Envoy for First Nations and Pacific, and the Envoy for Community, centering community as the work of the envoys is drawn on and drawn together to support COP31.

This body would also be well-placed to nurture engagement across the COP troika of Brasil, Australia-Pacific and Africa, (and a complementary Indigenous Troika once established).

The allocation for this activity is $2 million per annum for two years.

  1. COP31 International engagement with Non-State Actors

While this Pre-Budget Submission focuses on local engagement, non-state actors around the world will play an important role in influencing international communities and policymakers through their participation, contributions and negotiations at COP31.  A budget allocation will be required to support the critical work of Australia’s diplomatic missions and Ambassadors for Climate Change and First Nations in engaging with key international economic, research and civil society organisations.

The allocation for this activity is $2 million per annum for two years.

  1. Research and evaluation of COP31 engagement activities and outcomes

One of the identified issues with the COP events is the lack of good monitoring and evaluation about what processes worked, the degree to which the outcomes of the COP meetings are informed by the pre-COP engagement activities, and the degree to which engagement strategies may or may not ensure ongoing commitment to COP31 outcomes.

Australia has an opportunity to implement monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to develop a better understanding of how to engage various sectors in climate change activity, and the effectiveness of that activity in shaping and sustaining outcomes. This would benefit not just COP31 but many future efforts in similar areas.

The allocation for this activity is $1.5 million per annum for two years.

Budget implications (costings)

Success at COP31 will only be achieved if the event is grounded in strong engagement across governments, business, community groups, First Nations and Pacific peoples.

The savings and benefits that could be made through Australia taking a leading role in an effective COP31 are very significant.

The total outlay of this budget measure is $35.5 million per annum, a total of $71 million prior to COP31 in 2026. 

Some of these allocations may come from existing budget items including unspent funds from this budget measure: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – The Government will provide an additional $76.2 million over five years from 2023–24 (and an additional $0.3 million from 2028–29 to 2029–30) to support Australia’s continued engagement in international climate change and energy transition issues, including through the International Energy Agency, G20 and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to bolster trade opportunities and enhance security relationships with key partners, and bid to co-host the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) in partnership with the Pacific and undertake initial planning in the event of a successful bid.

Conclusion

CCG acknowledges that COVID-19, inflation and global events have created new challenges for governments and for budgets.

We contend that the biggest threat to Australia is human-induced climate change.

Taking a leadership role in COP31 will not only benefit Australia but, if done well, will help address the need for urgent action to reduce the terrible toll climate change will otherwise inflict on Australia and the world.

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Endless inquiries taking us for a ride

News, Uncategorized

Published in The Community Advocate: Endless inquiries taking us for a ride

Endless inquiries taking us for a ride

It’s time to stop the inaction merry-go-round of government consultations, inquiries and reports and get to work, writes Community Council for Australia CEO David Crosbie.

One of the strategies used extensively by Australian governments to avoid making any serious commitment to a particular issue is to establish an inquiry, a consultation, a panel, or an advisory group to prepare a report and make recommendations.

The federal Parliament alone currently lists over 100 inquiries.

Australia is excellent at conducting inquiries.

Australia also excels at developing all kinds of plans.

A good example is the most recently developed National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032.

By most standards, it is an excellent plan – a comprehensive 10-year vision across multiple domains informed by extensive research, collaboration and consultation.

But a first-rate plan doesn’t necessarily change things.

We have similar plans for many aspects of our lives and our communities, including industry-specific plans, health system plans, education plans, poverty plans, environmental plans, disease-specific plans, plans for population groups, including Indigenous peoples.

In fact, having a plan for everything has become so popular for governments that it has become an end in itself.

It is an accepted way for governments to be seen to be doing something about an area or an issue, even if all they are really doing is agreeing to put a set of words onto paper.

All this work conducting inquiries and reviews, framing recommendations and developing plans takes a lot of time and effort. And every now and then these processes are useful – they work to get more resources into an area or to have the resources better used to achieve better outcomes.

Unfortunately, outcome-focused plans driving new investment and change are not the norm.

More often than not, the consultation and planning to address an issue of concern is almost like a parallel process to the real-world experiences of the issue, a parallel process that can serve to block rather than facilitate action.

While we are busy having input into consultations and inquiries, reviewing the proposed recommendations and outcomes, then contributing to the development of some kind of plan, we are probably not engaged as much in our core business of addressing the issue.

Perhaps just as importantly, it becomes difficult to advocate for more investment and action because we are already part of government processes having input into future policies and plans.

Engaging charities and not-for-profits in an endless process of consultation and planning provides government with cover. But it can be difficult to say no because we all want to work with government to address the areas of concern.

Refusing to participate can also mean organisations might miss out on opportunities for funding or other government support and engagement.

So, how do we decide whether we should play or not play in these processes?

What kinds of factors determine whether the process is going to be useful and deliver outcomes, or a waste of your time and expertise?

“Maybe if a few more of us said no to pointless processes, the inaction merry-go-round of consultations, inquiries and reports might slow down enough to review the work already done?”

I tend to focus on four key factors.

Of course, there are others that may be just as important or relevant, depending on the kind of work or issue you are engaged in.

You may also have specific reasons to participate or engage. But if you are going to offer your input, usually with no compensation to you or your organisation, it needs to be a good use of your valuable resources.

First, I want to know if those involved in the policy development have any commitment to real change, and real investment. Producing a beautiful document is fine, but not if it leads to no change.

Second, I need to know whether there has been any review of what has already been tried in this area, plans and recommendations that may have already been developed, and whether we really need to revisit those plans rather than embark on a new process.

My third area of focus is authenticity, which to me means genuine engagement, partly measured by prolonged engagement and positive supportive relationships.

There are many policy bandwagons that people readily jump on and off. I prefer to know that people have been actively engaged in an area for some time, and are committed to working as partners and taking as long as it needs.

Finally, I need to know there is a commitment to ruling some activities out.

Having a plan that encompasses every possible activity in a certain area is not a plan, it’s just a set of words everyone can agree to. A good plan is strategic, supporting only a limited number of effective actions.

Unfortunately, the most common form of a national strategic plan is framed to validate everything that is currently occurring, to ensure everyone agrees, and that everything can go on as normal despite there being a new national plan.

Across the charities and NFP sector there is a high level of engagement in government consultation and planning.

In many instances, this contribution isn’t valued beyond a government official being able to tick a box. Even if we are listened to, even if we already know what needs to be done to make a real difference, there is often no commitment to increased investment or change.

We have had comprehensive reviews of our sector involving thousands of submissions, extensive consultations, and countless hours of input and deliberations, generating millions of words in government reports.

As emeritus professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes points out in his revealing analysis of six government reports into the sector:

“In these reports alone, I counted over 160 recommendations, with 21 implemented, 113 unimplemented, and 33 partial or no longer applicable implementations.

“There is even one notable recommendation about recommendations from the 2010 Productivity Commission that ‘over the last 14 years, there have been five major reviews of the NFP sector, yet many worthwhile recommendations remain unimplemented.’”

I note that the leader of the Opposition, in his first address to Australia following the referendum outcome, talked about his commitment to the safety of Indigenous children.

He said he would hold a Royal Commission into Child Abuse in Indigenous Communities.

I doubt he has read the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032, let alone the specific section on developing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander action plan grounded in the Closing the Gap Target 13:

“By 2031, the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children is reduced at least by 50%, as progress towards zero.”

Herein lies the heart of the problem.

Even when thousands of hours of consultation, research and considered work have been provided by informed and knowledgeable people, including those with extensive lived experience, we often ignore this work and reinvent another process to develop another set of words for us to ignore all over again.

It is, in many ways, an ignorant approach to policy development, and we seem to have perfected it in Australia.

Maybe if a few more of us said no to pointless processes, the inaction merry-go-round of consultations, inquiries and reports might slow down enough to review the work already done?

Why do we keep playing these games with governments?

Endless inquiries taking us for a ride Read More »