NTCOSS Newsheet Year End 2009
NTCOSS NEWS SHEET – Year End 2009
The NTCOSS crew is currently settling into new offices at 33 Bayfield Road, Malak. The move has gone remarkably smoothly, although a few teething problems around internet access have taken a bit longer to sort out. Meanwhile Federal Minister Jenny Macklin has announced policy changes on income management which will have enormous implications for the NT.
Income management arrangements expanded
Minister Macklin has recently announced that an income management regime involving the quarantining of 50% of social security payments will applied across the whole of the NT to a range of target groups. The new scheme will commence on 1 July 2010. Those affected will include (i) people aged 15-24 on Newstart, Youth Allowance, or Parenting Payment for more than 13 of the past 26 weeks, (ii) people aged over 24 who have been receiving these payments for more than one year in the last two, and (iii) individuals assessed by a Centrelink social worker as ‘requiring income management for reasons including vulnerability to financial crisis, domestic violence or economic abuse’. NTCOSS is concerned at this extension of income management because of the absence of any conclusive evidence to demonstrate that the measure results in greater safety for children, improved school attendance or better nutrition. NTCOSS Central Australian Policy Officer Jonathan Pilbrow has done a considerable amount of media in response to the announcement.
Pre-Budget submission completed
After extensive consultation across the range of community sectors, the NTCOSS Pre-budget submission has now been completed and sent to all members of the Legislative Assembly and all NTCOSS members. The 2010-11 submission includes discussion and recommendations from 19 specific sectors – including for the first time sections on Carers, Gambling and Utilities – and an overarching ‘sector-wide’ discussion. We would invite NTCOSS members to make use of the document in their meetings with government representatives.
Submission to Licensing Commission on availability of large winecasks
NTCOSS has provided the NT Licensing Commission with a detailed submission in response to their request for public comment on the value of imposing restrictions on the sale of four and five litre winecasks in the Darwin/Palmerston/Litchfield area. Our submission recommends a complete ban on the sale of four and five litre casks, and restrictions on the hours during which two-litre casks and fortified wines like port and sherry may be purchased.
NTCOSS has also contributed to, and endorsed the NT Law Society’s submission to Government in respect to the proposed legislative amendments to the Alcohol Court system. NTCOSS is just one of a number of community groups with serious concerns about how the new system will operate if it is not adequately resourced.
New staff member
Welcome to Barry White who has joined the NTCOSS crew as a project officer in the drug and alcohol co-morbidity project. We wish him well in his new role.
Xmas close down
The NTCOSS office in Malak will close down on 23 December and will reopen on Monday 4 January. The Alice Springs office will also be closed from the 10th to the 31st of January. We would like to wish all our members and supporters a safe and happy holiday period.
Regards from the NTCOSS team