Welfare Blueprint to End Poverty in Victoria

The Victorian Council of Social Service has released its 2015-16 State Budget submission, describing it as a social blueprint to build a Victoria without poverty.

Building a Victoria without poverty sets out 12 spending priority areas for the Victorian State Budget, and presents a series of what it says are “practical proposals to address some of the biggest social issues facing Victoria, including spiralling youth unemployment, growing educational disadvantage, increasing family violence, and the rising cost of living.”

“Poverty is growing in Victoria – with almost 14 per cent of people in our state living below the poverty line – yet we could reverse this alarming trend by adopting an approach to social planning that puts people and communities first,” VCOSS CEO Emma King said.

"With the proper policies in place and the right interventions at the right time we could begin to build a Victoria without poverty, where everyone has the opportunity to build a brighter future, and where we leave a stronger, more prosperous and fairer legacy for future generations.

“The Andrews Government has an opportunity to create a fairer Victoria by using the strategies outlined in the VCOSS plan to tackle some of the most pressing social issues we face today.

“During the election campaign and since coming into power, the ALP announced a raft of policies that seek to put people at the heart of decision making in Victoria.

“Commitments around tackling unemployment, improving access to education, beginning to fix child protection, and the swift work in setting up the historic Royal Commission into Family Violence show that the Andrews Government is prepared to work on delivering on those promises.

“Yet the growing level of poverty and disadvantage in our community requires a strong social blueprint, focused on delivering practical solutions.

“It is imperative we take a long-term approach that recognises the value of strong communities and the importance of fostering resilience.

“VCOSS has developed this comprehensive blueprint of social policies to address the underlying causes of poverty and disadvantage and to create a stronger, more inclusive society.” 

The VCOSS top 12 budget priorities include:

• Strengthen the community sector to help people thrive
• Tackle unemployment
• Help every child succeed in education
• Prevent family violence
• Invest in integrated support for children and families
• Make child protection work
• Create healthy and inclusive communities
• Tackle the housing crisis
• Cut the cost of living
• Expand transport options
• Make communities safer by addressing the causes of crime
• Build resilient and engaged local communities

The full VCOSS State Budget Submission 2015-16 is available online.