Annual Report 2017-18

The QCOSS storyWhen Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) looks to the future, we see a Queensland free of poverty and disadvantage. We see opportunities, not obstacles. Every moment, we are striving to empower, cultivate and drive forward with purpose.

That purpose is improving the wellbeing of all people in Queensland - families, men, women, children of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Our work focusses on every Queenslander experiencing poverty and disadvantage.

As the state’s peak body for individuals and organisations working in the social and community service sector, QCOSS understands the power of working together. We unite the voices of nearly 600 member organisations to ensure the wellbeing of the community’s most vulnerable is high on the agenda of the state.

Our role goes beyond advocacy and policy building. QCOSS believes in education, in networking and in the transparent flow of information.

Change is facilitated by knowledge. Not only do we want cost of living and affordability to be top priority for our legislators, but we want to facilitate conversations with all sections of the community to develop good ideas, policy and solutions to some of the most important social issues impacting people. To this end we are focussing on place- based approaches, citizen-led policy development, cost- of-living advocacy and community sector capability and capacity building to make sure the best possible outcomes are achieved for Queenslanders.

QCOSS’ past is rooted in advocating for a better lot for the state’s most vulnerable individuals and communities.

Since 1959, we have supported Queenslanders in need, every day. Economic and social changes have required ongoing changes to our approach, and like the community QCOSS seeks to serve, the organisation is constantly evolving. Throughout, our dedication has been and remains unwavering. Our track record reflects this.

QCOSS will continue to tirelessly advocate for real social change. Facilitating genuine change is hard work, but we believe our vision for a Queensland free from poverty and disadvantage is worth fighting for.

We recognize the traditional custodians of the land, and the importance of self-determination and an end to disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. QCOSS strongly supports reconciliation.

On the front: This painting was produced by staff from QCOSS’ Indigenous Professional Support Unit (IPSU) depicting their interpretation of QCOSS’ future. The centre red circle is QCOSS, linked by community hubs in Queensland’s four regions – the Torres Strait, the coast, the west and Brisbane region. The white dot circles

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represent the communities QCOSS works beside. The orange dots represent the communication lines reflecting ongoing yarns, community voices and information sharing.

Our strategic directionOur strategic intentEffective policy advice: a policy agenda to eliminate poverty and disadvantage through informed advocacy.

Responsive community services: innovative, effective and valued community services

Productive partnerships: mutually beneficial relationships with all our stakeholders

A thriving organisation: a strong, sustainable and effective organisation

Our values - with integrity we actCourageously leading the campaign to end poverty and disadvantage

Collaboratively working together with our members and our stakeholders

Creatively exploring better ways to achieve our vision

Knowledgeably using sound evidence to inform our work

Inclusively respecting the diversity of our communities and sector

We focus on our workAlongside communities, the government and business to facilitate place-based approaches

With Queenslanders to build and promote citizen-led policy development

With community services, business and government to make sure Queenslanders have a reasonable standard of living through cost-of-living advocacy

With the community services sector to build their capacity and capability

We are working towards these outcomesLocal community vision and ideas drive responses to local need

Community outcomes are improved through the direct involvement of citizens in policy development

Queenslanders can live with dignity maintaining a reasonable standard of living

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Community organisations can provide high standards of service and continue to be valued in the community

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NAIDOC week 2017To celebrate NAIDOC week 2017, QCOSS highlighted the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages that are spoken in our country.

Bunyiba Garibiri – Good day in the Wiri language from the Central Queensland region. Maiem – Hello from Meriam Mir language from Eastern Torres Straits Mun-ya Mun-ja – Good day in the Kalibamu language from the Gulf of Carpentaria and

around Burketown Gudamulli – Good day in Darumbal language from the Rockhampton region Galang Dulara – Good morning in the Duungidjawi language from Upper Brisbane Valley Dhuraburra Karri – G’day in Yinangah language from the Longreach region Tharli Mura – Good day in Wangkumarra language from Western Queensland Gurumba Bigi – Good day in Jagara language from the Brisbane area west of Ipswich and

the Lockyer Valley Thurri Gurri – Come this way welcome friend from the Wakka language in the Burnett

River region Gamba Daru – G’day from the Barrungam language in the Dalby/Bunya Mountains region Sew Ngapa – Welcome in the Kala Lagawya language from the Western Torres Straits Yin-gar-rri – Hello in Yugambeh language from the Logan/Gold Coast region Mita Dju – Good day in the Gudang language from the tip of Cape York Balka Wittaberri – Good day in the Goreng language from the Bundaberg region Binbee Kurri – Good day from the Ganulu language from the Comet River in Central

Queensland Patji Dritji – Good day in the Yandruwandha language from Western Queensland

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ContentsThe QCOSS story..................................................................................................................... 2

Our strategic direction...............................................................................................................3

Our strategic intent.................................................................................................................... 3Our values - with integrity we act..............................................................................................3We focus on our work...............................................................................................................3We are working towards these outcomes.................................................................................3Board of Directors..................................................................................................................... 6

Chair’s report............................................................................................................................ 7

Message from the CEO............................................................................................................8

Advocacy and influence..........................................................................................................10

Our Stories.............................................................................................................................. 12

A Manifesto for Change..........................................................................................................13QCOSS Pulse......................................................................................................................... 14Movement for Change............................................................................................................16Creating a Vision.................................................................................................................... 19Place-based approaches........................................................................................................20

Place-based roundtables.................................................................................................21

Strengthening our Place: Fraser Coast............................................................................22

Strengthening our Place: Capricornia..............................................................................24

Cost of living........................................................................................................................... 25Sunny Savers success!...................................................................................................26

Energy literacy and efficiency forums..............................................................................27

Sector capability and capacity building...............................................................................28Dreams can come true....................................................................................................29

Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF)..................................................................30

Community Door..............................................................................................................31

Policy and advocacy.............................................................................................................32Neighbourhood and community centres consultation report............................................33

Social services reform.....................................................................................................35

Say NO to the cashless debit card...................................................................................36

Everyone deserves a place to call home.........................................................................37

Light at the end of the tunnel...........................................................................................38

QCOSS’ flood of water works..........................................................................................39

COSS Network – the power to influence.................................................................................40

Peak Power............................................................................................................................ 41

Events..................................................................................................................................... 42The written word..................................................................................................................... 43Funders and sponsors............................................................................................................44

Our funders...................................................................................................................... 44

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Our sponsors................................................................................................................... 44

Our members................................................................................................................... 44

Our network..................................................................................................................... 44

Financial Report........................................................................................................................1

Directors’ Report.......................................................................................................................2Directors............................................................................................................................ 2

Objective:........................................................................................................................... 2

Principal Activities..............................................................................................................2

Strategy for achieving the objectives.................................................................................2

Operating Result................................................................................................................2

Performance measures.....................................................................................................2

Information on Directors............................................................................................................3Meetings of directors.................................................................................................................6Contributions on winding up......................................................................................................7Subsequent Events to Reporting Period...................................................................................7Auditor's independence declaration..........................................................................................7Statement of profit and loss and other comprehensive income................................................9Statement of financial position as at 30 June 2018.................................................................10Statement of changes in equity for year ended 30 June 2018...............................................11Statement of cash flows for year ended 30 June 2018...........................................................11Note 1: Statement of significant accounting policies...............................................................12

General information.........................................................................................................12

Basis of preparation.........................................................................................................12

Historical cost convention................................................................................................12

Note 2: Revenue..................................................................................................................... 17Note 3: Expenses.................................................................................................................... 18Note 4: Cash and cash equivalents........................................................................................18Note 5 Trade receivables........................................................................................................18Note 6: Other current assets...................................................................................................18Note 7: Plant and equipment..................................................................................................19

Reconciliation.................................................................................................................. 19

Note 8: Trade and other payables...........................................................................................20Note 9: Provisions................................................................................................................... 20Note 10: Capital and leasing commitments.............................................................................20Note 11: Contingent liability....................................................................................................20Note 12: Related party transactions........................................................................................21Note 13: Cash flow information...............................................................................................21Note 14: Financial instruments...............................................................................................22Note 15: Key management personnel disclosures..................................................................24Note 16: Remuneration of auditors.........................................................................................24Note 17: Capital risk management..........................................................................................24Note 18: Economic dependence.............................................................................................24Note 19: Events subsequent to balance date.........................................................................24

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Director’s declaration..............................................................................................................25

Independent auditor’s report

Board of Directors Kate Tully (Chair) Matt Gardiner Anita Veivers Gerry Weatherall Faiza El-Higzi Richard Johnson Nadia Currie

Chair’s report‘Embracing the possibilities of change.’

When I sat to write this report last year, change was key theme – change in the sector, change in our communities and change in the world. As I reflect on 2017-18, change remains the key theme. However, this year at QCOSS we have embraced the possibilities change can bring by working alongside communities throughout Queensland and nationally to influence positive change in these unsettling times.

The QCOSS Board this year has invested significantly in Queensland communities. We have heard our members and the delegates at the conference and we understand the need for a catalyst for change. In the next 12 months we will be rolling out Changing Lives, Changing Communities events throughout Queensland to be that catalyst and build capacity for grass roots social change. This, and much of the work we do at QCOSS, is only possible with the ongoing support of our partners.

As the peak body for the community service sector in Queensland we have been focussed on bringing together the right people – individuals, community sector, business, academia and government - to make change and be part of our unrelenting pursuit of a Queensland free of poverty and disadvantage, where everyone has a good life. This approach highlights that the vision we are trying to achieve is not something we can do alone and we each of us have a role to play as individuals, community members or workers in the sector.

In 2017-18 the National COSS Network has continued to work collectively, building on individual and collective strengths. QCOSS has led the charge by bringing together all COSS CEOs and Chairs to develop a strategic direction for the network on cross-jurisdictional issues.

Our active involvement with ACOSS reflects the understanding that national issues have huge impacts for people in Queensland and that leverage from the national COSS Network will be key in achieving success in social change.

QCOSS is fortunate to have a proactive and committed board so it is with a certain sadness that I will be stepping down from the board this year (two of which as Chair.) It has been a very rewarding six years being a part of QCOSS and such a strong movement for social change.

In those six years I believe we have made considerable progress and I feel QCOSS has the momentum to continue to make positive change in Queensland. I thank my fellow Directors for their active engagement in guiding QCOSS in its continuous evolution; it has been a privilege to lead this team as Chair

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On behalf of the QCOSS Board, staff and members, I also extend our heartfelt thanks to our Patron, His Excellency the Hon. Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland. His Excellency takes a genuine interest in QCOSS as the organisation that represents – through its members– the social sector of the state. His support is much appreciated.

Finally, our thanks to our members, the lifeblood of the Queensland Council of Social Service. Organisations and individuals across the state and sector look to QCOSS for advice, information, advocacy and leadership. We are proud to have been delivering on these expectations and we look forward to continuing to travel alongside our members as together we strive towards our shared goal: a Queensland free of poverty and disadvantage.

Kate TullyChair

Message from the CEO‘Changing the narrative’

During 2017-18, QCOSS started with gusto a movement to create real change. The word ‘change’ became part of our vernacular as we created new approaches to ensure every person in Queensland has a good life. This movement was off the back of enormous issues - issues so big that we could not face them alone. These issues are attributable to the negative narratives unjustly surrounding people in our society, including those who receive social security, refugees, asylum seekers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We recognised the need to change the narrative, both internally and externally. To do this effectively, we need every individual and community in Queensland to challenge the status quo and be part of this important change.

QCOSS is proud to lead this movement for change. In the lead up to the Queensland state election in late 2017, QCOSS’ Manifesto for Change laid the foundation for a new way of working in Queensland. We called for a government that leads with vision, a government that listens and a government that acts together with us all. Following the election, QCOSS met with several ministers to discuss the QCOSS election platform and its importance for people in Queensland. The QCOSS election platform outlined two foundational asks. The first was the implementation of the Human Rights Act for Queensland. We are delighted that the state government has openly stated continued support for the Human Rights Act for Queensland. The second foundational ask was to see the adoption and implementation of draft recommendations from the Queensland Productivity Commission’s report into Service Delivery in Queensland’s remote and discrete Indigenous communities. While enthusiastic about recommendations made by the Productivity Commission’s report, the government’s response is unclear and appears underwhelming.

During the past year, federal issues continued to dominate our work. Alongside the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), we have fought hard against the cashless debit card and drug testing trials. These issues are of particular concern for people in Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Logan as these are the locations the Social Services Legislation (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017 targets.

QCOSS fronted a Senate Inquiry against the drug trials and we are committed to continue advocating strongly against the mandatory nature of both the cashless debit card and drug testing trials.

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QCOSS also focussed on the appallingly low rates of social security payments people on the Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance and related allowances receive. We raised our concerns about this through the national Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) Raise the Rate campaign. We continued to work with the National COSS Network on the rural and remote housing agreement, as it is critical the federal and state government ensure adequate investment is made into the housing needs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the state.

Our voice has been strengthened by working with key stakeholders at many levels. This includes the National COSS Network throughout Australia and other federal, state and territory organisations. Currently, QCOSS is working with 13 other peak organisations in Queensland. These partnerships have helped to create a stronger voice and more dynamic impact to ensure we truly see change for the people we support.

Together with the peak organisations, we identified four priority areas in Queensland with the greatest need for improved outcomes. This includes the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Family Matters campaign, the Human Rights Act for Queensland and affordable and accessible housing. We need to ensure these focus areas see the best possible outcomes through both good policy decisions and sound implementation.

QCOSS has also remained focussed on policy development and, where possible, engaging citizens in our work to address the biggest issues they are facing, such as housing accessibility and affordability and cost-of- living pressures like spiralling energy costs, water, transport and health costs. In early 2018 QCOSS hosted 19 community Pulse conversations. These conversations focussed on talking to communities about the aspirations they have for their communities. This set a wonderful platform for our state conference in May 2018. At the Movement for Change conference, we challenged ourselves and all participants to change the narrative when we talk about what we do and what we wish to achieve. We had a very strong group of speakers who inspired us to think and talk differently about what is important to us and who needs to be part of the conversations if we really want to see social change. It was very motivating to hear the inspiration from people in the room to say they wanted to be part of something better for their community and focus on the strengths of those communities.

We were delighted to meet with Minister Coralee O’Rourke and other senior staff from the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors to hear they shared our enthusiasm for building thriving communities through place-based work. We partnered with the department at roundtable meetings, where QCOSS took a strong lead. We continue to bring together key stakeholders across the country to ensure we take a long- term approach and utilise the best minds and resources that are available to see successful implementation.

In the coming year, QCOSS will continue to deliver place- based work through the Changing Lives, Changing Communities forums across 13 communities. This was made possible through the support of additional organisational investment in place-based work supported by the QCOSS board. The Changing Lives, Changing Communities events in Toowoomba, Mackay, Caboolture, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Normanton are funded through Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) National Readiness Grants - National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) – a partnership between Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland (ADCQ) and QCOSS.

Together with the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC), we have continued this important work in the Capricornia and Fraser Coast regions. Importantly, the actions for this work have been developed and led by each community, leading to improved and sustainable benefits for families and children in the community.

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QCOSS continues to support the sector around capacity and capability building by seeking to see the continued roll out of five-year funding contracts and ensuring that the federal government adequately funds the NDIS and continues to connect with national partnership agreements on health, housing, homelessness and education.

It has been a huge 12 months for QCOSS and I wish to thank the hardworking QCOSS Board members and our staff. Your commitment to QCOSS’ vision, combined with strong leadership and inspiration, enables QCOSS to be a true leader in Queensland’s social service sector. On behalf of QCOSS, I would like to also extend warm thanks to our members and stakeholders. The support you provide is critical as we continue to create a movement for change in Queensland.

I would also like to say a special thank you to Kate Tully, our Chair of QCOSS. This is Kate’s last year as Chair and I would like to personally thank her for her dedication to our organisation and her support of me over the past two years.

There is no doubt there are exciting times ahead as we move towards QCOSS’ 60-year jubilee and another year dominated by change. With all of us working together, we can make sure it is positive social change.

Mark HenleyChief Executive Officer

Advocacy and influence Housing supply council

The government announced plans for a housing supply council for South East Queensland.

QCOSS had advocate for his independent statewide body to help address the issue of housing affordability particularly for low-income households.

Cashless debit card

QCOSS stands against the cashless debit card introduction in the Bundaberg and Fraser Coast areas.

“It is fundamentally flawed thinking to believe that a complex social issues such as alcohol, drug and gambling problems in a community can be solved through changes to the welfare system.”

Centrelink robodebt

QCOSS welcomes the Senate Inquiry’s report into the robodebt program.

The report supports the recommendations made by QCOSS and the National COSS Network.

Unfortunately, the recommendations are not taken up by the government and advocacy continues.

Social security attacks

QCOSS advocates stronger with ACOSS and the National COSS Network to stop attacks on the social security safety net.

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The bill is stalled in parliament thanks to combined efforts and crossbenchers.

The fight continues into the next sitting period.

YES

QCOSS joins the YES campaign for marriage equality as the core issue is one of human rights.

In our role of supporting people experiencing poverty and disadvantage and supporting human rights QCOSS strongly supports the YES vote.

Anti-poverty week

Australia’s poverty rate remains above the OECD average and approximately 430,000 people in Queensland live in poverty.

Anti-poverty week seeks to raise awareness of the issues and solutions associated with poverty.

Homelessness funding

QCOSS is horrified at the unfolding events which could see federal homelessness and social housing funding linked to agreement from statement government on issues of land release and urban planning.

Calls on government to abandon the Treasury Laws Amendments.

Productivity Commission recommendations

QCOSS believes that full implementation of the Queensland Productivity Commission Inquiry into Service Delivery in Queensland’s Remote and Discrete Indigenous community has the potential to be a game changer.

This includes place-based responses and a focus on local governance.

Uluru statement

QCOSS, with other organisations across Australia, advocated in support of the Uluru Statement and urges the Federal Government to implement its recommendations.

YES

QCOSS, with numerous other organisations and individuals across Australia, advocated until the vote was complete. And celebrated when the vote came back ‘yes’ and the Marriage Act was changed in Australian Parliament.

Creating thriving communities

QCOSS and the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors hosted the Creating thriving communities roundtable.

Community sector, government, experts and researchers discussed the potential place-based approaches to help build thriving communities in Queensland.

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Investment critical

QCOSS joined the COSS Network in writing to the Prime Minister urging him not to abandon the National Partnership on Remote Housing.

This investment is critical to address housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities, particularly as homelessness figures rise nine per cent.

Close the Gap

QCOSS joined Q Shelter and LGAQ in asking all elected representatives in Queensland for their influence on continues investment in the National Partnership on Remote Housing.

This is not just about bricks and mortar, this is about denying communities the opportunity to reach their full potential.

GST fairness

QCOSS presented at the Productivity Commission Inquiry into GST distribution.

Speaking against the recommendations because changes to GST distribution will undermine the principles of fairness and equity that underpin fiscal equalisation between the States and Territories.

Support for wellbeing

QCOSS rallied against welfare reforms introduced by the government that further stigmatised people accessing income support.

Because evidence shows that income support is a vital safety net, both for those unable to work and for many who sometimes need help to get back on their feet.

Glass half full

Bulk water cost increases see price rises trickle down to households throughout Queensland.

QCOSS calls on the government to provide water concessions to everyone with a health care card who pay for water – home owners and tenants alike.

Federal Budget

The Federal Budget was insightful for what it did not include rather than what it did. No plan was presented to address rising poverty in Australia and no real measures to support people on low incomes.

QCOSS works with the National COSS Network to implement national change.

Sunny savers

The Sunny Savers trial in Cairns and Rockhampton has wrapped up for the year as an unqualified success.

An incredible 867 households participated and signed up to the solar panel program.

QCOSS provided support to build energy literacy and address the rising cost of living.

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Human Rights Act for Queensland

Funding for the Human Rights Act for Queensland is the highlight of the state budget in June.

Funding of nearly $3million signals a clear commitment from the government.

QCOSS has been advocating strongly for this essential piece of legislation at every opportunity.

Changing Lives, Changing Communities

QDN and QCOSS are successful in gaining funding to deliver Changing Lives, Changing Communities in six Queensland communities. These sessions will be led by people with disability, community members and local Councils to co-create local solutions.

Funded by the NDIA ILC funding.

Our Stories A Manifesto for ChangeAs we started planning for 2018, we asked ‘what can we say about the world around us?’ The challenges are many, but the opportunity is here. As we looked at the prospect of the next government, we imagined laying the ground work for the future.

What kind of state do we want to be? What kind of people do we want to be? How do we want to work together?

What is needed to make sure that the people in our state (and indeed our country and our planet) are in the best situation they can possibly be in?

We asked our members these important questions. Our members are an important part of our process as they share their real-life experiences from the frontline which helps to inform our work. These are some of their responses:

Limited capacity of community organisations to meet the needs of community members is evident every week, where people are turned away from services due to lack of resources

Longer contracts assist with staff retention and allow organisations to develop policies and promote services with the confidence that these services will continue

Lots of excellent services in communities working in isolation because coordinating these services is a full-time job that nobody has the time to do well

It’s important to hear from the people affected by government policies and have their voices heard

Getting community involved in setting the vision; and asking government to ensure any approach is whole-of-government and less portfolio-based, are key

Empowering people with information that they can take with them, whether it is locally or to another state or country, allows for longer-term change and control

Looking after and supporting those who are most vulnerable to succeed and improve their wellbeing, lives and ability to contribute, there will be less pressure on systems in the long run. Governments need to demonstrate their respect for society by taking action that demonstrates care

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These responses helped to pave our new way of working. In our Queensland Election Statement 2017 - The Manifesto for Change, we called on the incoming Queensland Government to govern differently, to work differently, to truly lead our state into the future.

We called for…

a government that leads with vision a government that listens

a government that acts together.

The Manifesto for Change marked a new era for QCOSS. It was the first stepping stone in our movement for change journey.

QCOSS Pulse – Creating new positive stories to enhance wellbeing.Melanie Adams from Prospect Community Services in Charters Towers shared her stories of the QCOSS Pulse conversations...

Melanie drove to Townsville, a 1.5 hour drive from Charters Towers, to learn about grant writing at QCOSS’ Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) workshop in February 2018. The first half of the day had been allocated to the SQW workshop, with the Pulse conversations rounding out the second half of the day.

“I just happened to go,” Melanie explains. “I’d just got back from another workshop where we learnt about participatory workshops. I asked QCOSS staff if Pulse was a participatory workshop and they said ‘Yes’ and I said ‘Yes!” she laughed.

Although Melanie was fairly new to participatory workshops, she was excited about engaging in conversations.

“I have always been interested in conversations and stories. When I started at Prospect, that was the one big thing that was missing. Before I started, I didn’t know what Prospect did because they didn’t advertise through positive stories.”

Melanie said she found people were open to sharing their stories at the event. “They were more open than I thought they would be,” she said. “I found, from the ground work, you get to be relaxed. There is no pressure to perform. What comes out, comes out. If you take the pressure away, it helps growth. Hearing other people’s stories triggers something in your mind about something similar you felt.”

Melanie said her favourite part of the event was the process and getting to know people on an individual level.

“It was about the actual person. It was not why they are there for that particular organisation – it was on a deeper level as to why they are there.”

Melanie said the event enabled her to build relationships.

“I met another lady that works for Townsville City Council in Community Development, which is similar to what I do in Charters Towers but for a different organisation. It was good to hear the

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positive stories they are involved with. I am still in contact with her. I saw her at the QCOSS conference,” she said.

Melanie said it is important to create connections with people in your community.

"We can help each other or point each other in the right direction for something that can help them when they need it.”

The event highlighted to her the importance of place-based approaches.

“You need to be in the place that you are providing the services, so you can get input from people that are using that service," she said.

“Even Townsville is too far away from us. It is very different," Melanie said.

"We can provide a place for services to come to Charters Towers without overheads, which removes the barriers to stop them from coming to us, so we can access services together.”

Melanie enjoyed the Pulse conversation so much she asked QCOSS to facilitate a conversation for her workplace Prospect Community Services, a member of QCOSS based in Charters Towers.

"We had been talking about doing a community connections workshop, so it was a great introduction for our staff to see what’s involved in a participatory workshop."

Melanie said the experience was rewarding. "It was good to draw things out from staff and take down barriers. Once they started talking, it poured out."

Having a space to have a conversation helped her colleagues to connect. "We know each other better on a personal level."

The events highlighted the power of sharing positive stories.

“You are what you put your energy into. We don’t want to put our energy into negatives – we want to kill the negativity!”

What was QCOSS Pulse?

In November 2017, QCOSS outlined a Manifesto for Change in our election statement. We called for…a government that leads with vision; a government that listens; a government that acts together…in an effort to really affect change.

In early 2018 we decided to extend our approach to our conference and lead the change. We realised we needed positive stories people in Queensland were telling about their communities. We needed to gather these stories to begin to change our focus as well as the focus of those around us. Thus, the QCOSS Pulse events were born.

QCOSS held 19 Pulse events across Queensland. Using the participatory process, we engaged in conversations with members and the community with a focus on what is working, what we value in our communities and what stories we want to tell. These conversations helped to build a picture of what is working in communities to feed into our movement for change, including our 2018 conference.

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Movement for Change – play your partAn independent review of the 2018 QCOSS Conference by Vicki SmithIt was a privilege to be invited to attend the 2018 QCOSS Conference held in Brisbane on the 16 and 17 May 2018. The state conference attracts an enthusiastic cross section of people from health and community service organisations all over Queensland. This year QCOSS put out an exciting call to action - ‘Movement for Change’. Held over two jam packed days, the conference was well organised and driven by speakers who were knowledgeable, clearly motivated and ready to help people attending the conference navigate a quest for social change!

Day 1 - Richard Denniss offered the first key note address with a no-fuss, candid approach to understanding economic jargon and political commentary in the media. While ordinarily an economist might delve into complicated algorithms and lengthy descriptions, Richard provided common- sense explanations to political jargon and unpacked the hidden agendas behind what he calls 'econo- babble'. It was clear the attendees found his blunt delivery somewhat refreshing and were in full support when he explained, “politicians don’t want you to understand, so they speak in a language you can’t understand." He went on to challenge the room to realise a more empowered approach to understanding government economic policy. Democracy requires political leadership and the onus is on the people to keep asking politicians the basic questions and demand clear answers.

The middle session offered stories from four progressive organisations. The panel representatives from Hands Up Mallee, Logan Together, the Puuya Foundation and Family by Family led a forum on how they have been able to affect change in the community. While the issues are complex and specific to each location, some common themes emerged. Primarily, the need to assimilate with communities to build connections of reliability and trust. Hands Up Mallee evolved from a community outcry for a more local response to social dysfunction in the area. Much of the evidence gathering came from meeting with a broad range of people, from CEO’s and community leaders to mums and dads. On every level the message needed to be heard. Hands Up Mallee developed a systems approach to reaching common goals and was able to formulate a targeted agenda that was strengthened by local engagement and a shared vision for the area.

Similarly, Logan Together creates change by focussing on the development of its youngest community members (children eight years and under). By anticipating the problems and mitigating the negative impacts on young families, Logan Together takes a preventative approach to its social challenges. Of course, focussing on ‘outcomes’ rather than ‘outputs’ is much harder to track but strong mapping and evaluation processes hold the program accountable to incremental change.

Understanding the need for a local approach was also at the heart of the Puuya Foundation and its mission to empower the Indigenous community of Lockhart River. The documented failings of the ‘fly in-fly out’ support programs prompted a demonstrated need to build relationships within the community that exhibited a clear understanding and appreciation of local issues, customs and culture. By establishing a reliable presence amongst the people, the Puuya Foundation was able to create a support service that produced genuine outcomes for the Lockhart community.

Family by Family demonstrated the benefit of using lived experience as a tool to support families in need. Facilitating the connection of a family with a lived experience with a family in need provided mutually beneficial outcomes to both parties and the building blocks for more cohesive communities and networking opportunities. In general, the messages channelled a compelling challenge to attendees to move beyond the comfort zone of remaining at arm’s

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length from the people most in need. Ultimately lived experience accounts for the greatest insight to program initiatives and the impetus for focussed change.

After lunch people had the opportunity to attend a choice of three workshops and I chose to attend a session titled 'Words, Messages & Stories'. The experienced panel navigated the attendees through the maze of language within the human sector and provided context to its opportunities and limitations.

Nick Moraitis from Australian Progress talked about the analytics of language in the media and gave the results of targeted research on the subject. The results provided specific direction on the use of rhetoric in the service sector and its impact on listener perceptions. That is, “facts are insufficient at communicating complex ideas.” Indeed, the evidence showed that mixed messages created mixed emotions amongst focus groups with colloquial and emotive language driving a stronger, more receptive response. Likewise, rephrasing terminology can invite a more constructive reply. For example, a statement that begins with “A good Government would…” is more productive than “Government should…”

Amanda Alford from the National Association of Community Legal Centres provided evidence of how language was an essential tool in a successful media campaign to protest funding cuts to community legal services. The fact-based campaign used well-chosen media talent with personal stories of hardship to reinforce key messages. Language was tailored to create an emotive response, ‘a funding cut’ was transposed to ‘a funding cliff’ to stimulate the correct response from media.

Jo Lynam is the mother of a young person with a disability. Her message addressed the importance of telling a story that is positive and authentic. This kind of transparency challenges people’s perceptions and supports opportunities for those who might not have a voice in the community.

The journalist Nance Haxton discussed how the media industry has evolved over the last 20 years and the active role it plays in exposing stories of significance. Media channels, such as social platforms, radio and podcasts, allow the public to really engage with the story and develop a greater empathy for the subject. Finally, attendees were given some tips to understanding journalistic concepts and jargon.

The afternoon was a chance to engage with another panel of industry standouts with the theme ‘I can make a difference’. The facilitated discussion allowed participants to ask the panel how they had made a difference. Taj Pabari is the powerhouse 18-year-old founder and CEO of Fiftysix Creations. His message for teaching young people 'skills of the future' relies on being flexible and responsive to the needs of the industry and being surrounded by positive people!

David Spriggs is an IT guru with a passion for making technology available to the social sector. His advice to the group was the importance of partnerships. Corporate partnerships have the potential to create opportunities to services in the community sector that might otherwise be unattainable.

In conclusion the panel was asked to reflect on their hopes for change in the industry. Their suggestions included a strengths‐based approach to problems and a greater cooperation amongst services.

Before the day ended, Luke Pearson from IndigenousX reflected on the issue of bias in media messaging towards Indigenous people and presented several examples of derogatory language in the public domain. He challenged attendees to advocate for greater equality in

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media messaging and to hold industry accountable. Participants left feeling tired but energised by the successful stories of demonstrated change and the constructive themes of purpose.

Day 2 - The day was a chance for participants to become involved in uncovering the formula to create an ‘action for change’. Facilitator Max Hardy provided a framework for the day and discussed the tools for attendees’ involvement. The stories and valued experience of the participants was essential to creating a clear vision and decisive actions for the future. The enthusiasm for group discussion was infectious as people shared valuable insight into a range of human services. There was an unmistakable unspoken respect amongst those in the room. As discussed on day one, the value of experience was compelling and provided the greatest resource for idea sharing and thought‐provoking discussion. At each intersection of the action‐making process we were asked to reflect on the evolving themes. Attendees had the opportunity to further explore topics of interest and separated into groups to collate further direction on the emerging key themes for the future. Lastly, the groups were separated according to areas and regions in Queensland. The goal was to develop strategic commitments to support the sector and each other. It was clear that participants were heavily invested in the priorities of the conference and grateful for the tools to create actual change. The value of sharing and the opportunity to network within a specific industry is always beneficial in a conference setting. However, it must be said the calibre of contribution from those who attended the 2018 QCOSS conference through lived experience and shared values is the greatest strength in a collective movement for change.

Some of your messages from the conference:

What an inspirational group…so many strong messages…spreading so much hope Challenging, inspiring, thoughtful I loved hearing how, by just being you, you are able to change lives Though provoking and dynamic I also want to disrupt the cycle – very inspiring Great to hear stories of communities doing things differently Opened up some deeper thought and awakened some realities – thank you! We need to change the perceptions the media are pushing – reality is not always

concurrent with headlines Great conversations and insights

Creating a visionDay two – participants at the QCOSS Conference 2018 created the vision:By 2030, we will have whole of community outcomes of wellbeing, inclusion and ownership. To achieve this, we need system changes focussing on social justice, political reform and the safety net, and better ways of working including listening, collaboration and prevention.

By 2030 we will have…

Whole of community outcomes

Wellbeing: Everyone in community experiences the wellbeing of safety, security, access, opportunity and meaningfulness. All social issues are addressed, including ending poverty and inequality.

Inclusion: Community is inclusive and accepting of diversity, where all feel valued, based on a framework of human rights.

Ownership: Local communities have ownership over local issues, where everyone is an empowered participant.

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To achieve this, we need to have…

System changes

Social justice: Put people before profit, end privatisation of public services (housing, health and education), recognise people are citizens first before they are workers.

Political reform: Reformed political system with better representation including more diversity, more people-based parties, and an upper house in Queensland.

Safety net: Fairer, non-stigmatising social security system.

Better ways of working

Listening: Valued all lived experience, listening to all voices, stories and past history. Collaboration: Services are truly working together non-competitively with a connected

community. Prevention: Proactive approaches of early intervention and prevention are adopted.

As a continuation of this vision, QCOSS is committed to hosting two-day Changing Lives, Changing Communities events in various regions across Queensland in 2018-19. These events will build on the knowledge gained and actions developed on the second day of the conference. We aim to work with communities as they build their movement for change.

Place-based approachesPlace-based work is about bringing together citizens in a place to address the needs of communities by harnessing the vision, resources and opportunities in each community.

Place-based roundtablesHon. Coralee O'Rouke

Minister for Communities and Minister for Disability Services and Seniors

Opening remarks - Roundtable - 5 February 2018

I respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, and Elders past, present and emerging.

I’d also like to thank everyone for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend today.

I just want to make some brief introductory remarks to start today's discussion. This is my first group discussion with key stakeholders on place-based community initiatives since I was appointed Communities’ Minister.

From the first conversation I had with the Premier about this portfolio my determination and commitment to support thriving Queensland communities through place-based community initiatives has been growing.

I believe that it is vital if we are to build happier, safer, healthier, prosperous, thriving communities that governments need to look at investment and service delivery completely differently.

There is no excuse for us to continue to work in silos or dictate what is, or is not, good for a community.

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We need to provide greater certainty to service providers and those they provide services to.

There is no excuse that government investment can’t be guided by communities’ individual and indeed unique needs and opportunities.

And while I’m really pleased that there are some place-based community initiatives across Queensland – some that I have been involved in directly – we must hold ourselves accountable – because, for large scale improvements in community outcomes, government will need to change.

The questions I’m asking at the moment include – What does a thriving community look like?

Another question is - How are the voices of community members, service providers, employers and governments most effectively considered and engaged?

A critical, more philosophical question, which I think is important is – how do we ensure community ‘buy in’ – how do we get people to understand that relying on each other is okay? We don’t need to be ‘alone together’ and self-reliant. So, the challenge is there for all of us in this room and beyond – now is the time we can really push this agenda for inclusive and thriving communities.

I look forward to hearing your voices on this.

What were the roundtables?

In a series of roundtable discussions, QCOSS and the Queensland Government worked to connect people from across Australia and Queensland to foster the development of place-based approaches and help build thriving communities across the state.

Initiated by the Honourable Coralee O’Rourke, Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, and Mark Henley, CEO, QCOSS, the first of these events took place in Brisbane on 5 February 2018.

Strengthening our Place – Fraser CoastSince 2016, QCOSS and the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) continue to collaboratively deliver the Strengthening Our Place initiative. This initiative builds capacity of local communities to lead and implement place- based responses to the increasing number of children entering the child protection system, and the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The initiative is currently working in two sites in Central Queensland – the Fraser Coast and Capricornia.

The Butchulla people are the traditional owners of K’gari, the Butchulla name for Fraser Island. They have been custodians of the area now known as the Fraser Coast for more than 5,000 years. QCOSS met with Elders from the Butchulla nation to seek permission to undertake the place-based work on their land and asked them to describe issues that affect them and their families.

In his role on the Place-based Leadership Group, Butchulla Elder Glen Miller said the key issues faced by Elders, both Indigenous and non- indigenous, is feeling isolated from the younger generations and not knowing how to support them in their transition to adulthood. Particularly, Uncle Glen identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and men do not know their heritage or have a sense of who they are or where they want to go with their lives.

"The easiest way to explain parts of today's predicament for Aboriginal males is when white people came into this country, they disarmed all men," Uncle Glen explained. "That

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disarmament took away their ability to be hunters, warriors, leaders and protectors. Since then, Aboriginal men have not found a role to play."

A major transition in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boy’s life is initiation to manhood. Uncle Glen argued that the root cause of problems for many young boys is not having the opportunity to participate in this rite of passage.

Traditionally, boys would spend most of their lives with women until they hit puberty, when they were given over to the care of the initiated men.

“They would be taken out to their tribal territory by the older men. They would be taken to specific sites and the stories of those sites would have been told to them,” Uncle Glen explained. “They would have been told what their responsibilities were. That’s the start of the journey to manhood.”

Once their journey through manhood was complete, they would return to their mob.

"The women would wail because they took a boy to the ceremony and a man would come back. Everybody would acknowledge his manhood. We've lost that in today's society. Not just for Aboriginal men but for everybody," Uncle Glen said.

In response to this issue, QCOSS supported Butchulla men and Dr. Arne Rubenstein, the CEO of The Rites of Passage Institute, an organisation that has built their Rites of Passage program over 20 years of research and practice. Dr. Rubenstein worked with the men to design, create and deliver a Rite of Passage program for Indigenous and non-indigenous boys from the Fraser Coast, based on the Butchulla culture. The Boys to Men program is called Babbinyuwi Wanda, which translates to ‘father and son climbing’ in English.

Throughout the development of the Babbinyuwi Wanda program, the QCOSS place-based leadership group were informed and invited to contribute to the planning. This included facilitating the formation of the Advisory Group made up of local representatives from the community and service providers.

The program is needed. Uncle Glen has started working with young Aboriginal boys at Maryborough State High School.

“I was asked to talk to a young fella there last week. He’s probably a common example of what is happening [to young Aboriginal boys]. This young bloke is living at home with his mum and he’s in grade 11. He has a 12-year-old brother. He found himself in a situation last week where he couldn’t see why he should hang around any longer. He was seriously thinking about jumping off a bridge.”

Uncle Glen and a guidance officer at the school sat down with him.

“The first thing I could think to do was to get a connection with him by telling my own story,” Uncle Glen said.

"I was trying to show him that, even though the situation looks hopeless, there are some people who are willing to step up and walk some of the journey with him."

"We made him repeat to us what we said: ‘When I walk out of here, I am not alone,’” Uncle Glen said.

The boy is now going to take part in the Babbinyuwi Wanda program, which is being piloted in August 2018.

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Fifteen boys and men, including six non- indigenous boys, will spend four nights camping on Butchulla land on the mainland, off K’gari. Each boy will take another significant male with them as part of their journey.

The boys will be ceremoniously farewelled by their mothers and their families and, by the end of the camp, they will be welcomed back as young men.

Strengthening our Place – CapricorniaThe second location for the Strengthening our Place initiative is in Capricornia. In 2017, the initiative worked to support several local projects. This work specifically focussed on improving the lives of Indigenous children and young people in care.

The partnership is working. The connection has meant a better outcome for the children and young people, meaning a better outcome for all. The collaboration has provided holistic cultural care for four young people in care and delivered a foster and kinship carer workshop.

“It’s important to make sure you understand your community and spend enough time getting to know the main players in the community. And that means community leaders as well as traditional custodians,” James Mundy, who worked on the project, said.

"That's what is great about QCOSS and QFCC coming into the region. It gives us the flexibility to be engaged and be an authentic stakeholder at the table."

“The Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disabilities [now known as the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women] sometimes employ people who have qualifications, but they don’t have the connection or relationship with the community."

"They’re trying to advocate for their kids, but they don’t really understand the knowledge Aunty Kristina has,” James said.

Knowing the people within her community means Aunty Kristina Hatfield of Darumbal Enterprises may also know a more suitable placement for a child or young person within the Darumbal community itself.

“Because the Indigenous worker is in the office or doesn’t know the connection, that child might be placed with a non-indigenous carer, or in a residential facility. Yet there may be family more than willing or able to look after these kids. And that’s where I think [the partnership] is great. I’m excited to see where this does go, our journey, because it’s a natural partnership,” James said.

Inherently, the fusion of cultural knowledge, connection and sector expertise that Aunty Kristina and James have formed has been the key to success for the program.

"It's about working together and tapping into each other for better outcomes for our people, for our mob," Aunty Kristina said.

Cost of LivingMuch of QCOSS’ work involves advocating on behalf of Queenslanders from low- income households and investigating and highlighting the rising cost of living they face. Our specific work in this area includes energy, water, transport and our series of cost-of-living reports. Our

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members are an important part of this process. They share their real-life experiences from the frontline which informs our advocacy.

Sunny Savers success QCOSS worked with the Queensland Government and Ergon Energy to trial a model of accessing solar power for people in public housing properties in regional Queensland. Trial participants received a solar system at no upfront cost, an affordable rate on their electricity, access to HomeSmart to help manage their electricity usage and some budgeting assistance with the provision of monthly electricity bills.

Deb MacNamara was one of three QCOSS Tenant Engagement Officers for the Sunny Savers program in Cairns. Deb, who has had many years’ experience working in the social services sector, said the Sunny Savers program was important on several levels.

“Making something as basic as power affordable is hugely important. The program also helped the wider community alleviate other problems, like preventing heatstroke in summer [with air conditioning] or preventing cold and flus in the winter [with heaters],” she said.

Deb said the program was needed. “There were people out there doing things like turning off their hot water system one day out of every three as a normal part of what they did. Older people were not using lights. You don’t see this unless you are there. Making power even a few dollars a week cheaper is a huge benefit,” Deb said.

“One story that sticks out was there was a woman living in a house that she grew up in as a child. She is now an aged pensioner. She was quite sweet – she got quite teary. She wanted to be part of the program, so she could give back to the community. Her motivation was to do something that would benefit the community and the world,” Deb said.

Deb said being on the ground was an important part of the job.

“We could check in with people and refer them to other agencies. It was good in that respect… when you walk into people’s homes, you’d see things."

"They would ask you the question. It might be something like ‘There is a puddle in my backyard – who do I talk to about it?’ Sometimes it was another agency referral, like home care or disability care agencies…It wasn’t part of our brief, but it happened naturally,” Deb said.

"You have to do something when you see a deficit. People can be involved in the system all their lives and not know what services are out there. The services they know about are mostly clinical based but some of the help they need is not clinical, like they may need someone to call in and have a chat. However, if it is not on a clinical list, it may be overlooked,” she said.

“Having face-to-face conversations gave us a much higher uptake than we otherwise would have had. We spent lots of hours on the road, with lots of personal and professional connections made… We met some characters. We signed purchasing agreements in interesting places – on the kitchen table, on the lawn or on the front of cars,” Deb said.

Deb thinks the most rewarding part of the program for participants was having the solar system installed.

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“People are reluctant to ask for more or complain. For the most part, the people we came across were people that are quiet in the background. The most rewarding part was helping people who don’t usually ask for help."

Phase 1

2054 invitations sent by the Department of Housing to eligible tenants 50 per cent of tenants opted in A whopping 1024 appointments were scheduled for only give QCOSS staff More than 880 appointments were completed 10 group information sessions held 865 solar contracts signed

Energy literacy and efficiency forumsOn 10 August 2017, the Department of Energy and Water Supply [now known as the Department of Natural Resources, Miners and Energy] engaged QCOSS to deliver seven energy literacy and energy efficiency forums to customers in Mackay, Mt Isa, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Logan and Toowoomba. Additional forums were added later in Maryborough, Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Redland Bay, Ipswich and Caboolture.

In total, QCOSS held 15 face-to-face energy forums across the state between 31 August and 27 November 2017. We engaged directly with over 200 people. Overall, QCOSS found there was strong demand in the communities for energy literacy and energy efficiency information.

Customers who attended and participated in the forums found them useful, with many attendees identifying opportunities for tangible savings on their energy bills based on the information provided. It is clear from feedback that ongoing energy literacy education is required in communities.

QCOSS considers that energy literacy education is best delivered in partnership with local community organisations with strong knowledge and networks in their regions. It must be provided on an ongoing basis that enables information to be disseminated across multiple networks, in a range of formats that suit different customer cohorts. Delivery through local community organisations also allows organisations to directly assist customers with other programs and services such as financial resilience support, No Interest Loan Schemes and housing/tenancy advice.

Examples of successful approaches to energy literacy education which have operated in this way (and supported by the Department previously) include Switched On Communities and Energy Savvy Families.

These approaches were acknowledged in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report which recommended that, in addition to existing funding, the Australian Government and the relevant state or territory government should fund a grant scheme for consumer and community organisations to provide targeted support to assist vulnerable consumers to improve energy literacy. The report said, "This grant scheme should be modelled on the approach taken by QCOSS in administering the Switched On Communities program. This targeted support will assist vulnerable consumers to participate in the retail electricity market and choose an offer that suits their circumstances."

A Cairns couple saved more than $1,000 by attending the forum. Due to the information provided, they found out they were eligible for the Electricity Rebate,

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Medical Cooling and Heating Concession Scheme, and Essential Medical Equipment payments. The couple also won the $50 Bunnings voucher lucky door prize and went home with plenty of money saving tips on how to use their air conditioner more efficiently.

Sector capacity and capability buildingQCOSS is proud to work alongside Queensland's community services sector to deliver innovative, sustainable and targeted services for the best possible outcome for clients.

Dreams can come trueTalisa Muller works at Gundoo Early Childhood Learning Centre in Cherbourg, located 375 kilometres north west of Brisbane in the Aboriginal Shire of Cherbourg. Talisa is one of six people at the service who is currently studying for their Certificate III and/or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care with support from the Rural and Remote Workforce Initiative being delivered by QCOSS.

Prior to studying, Talisa worked in early childhood but mainly in relief work. She decided to start studying for her Certificate III of her own accord.

“I wanted to learn more and achieve more and have a career,” Talisa said.

After starting, she found out about the Rural and Remote Workforce Initiative and was able to gain further support and access for her studies.

Talisa said studying for her Certificate III has been challenging. She is currently working full time at the service and studying.

“There was a lot of study. There have been times I have felt like I can’t do it. I didn’t realise how much work was involved to educate children, but it is good. There is always something new to learn,” she said.

One of the biggest challenges for Talisa was translating her thoughts to paper.

“I read the questions and know the answers, but it is just trying to put it to paper,” she said.

Although there are challenges, Talisa is enjoying her studies and proactively started study groups with the other students in the service. Her favourite part of the course has been group studies.

“Group studies gives me the chance to work with other people. We can share ideas. If we are stuck on a question, we help each other. It is teamwork.”

Talisa said having a supportive team around her has helped her overcome obstacles.

“Having support from teachers and workmates has helped. It has helped to build my courage back up again,” she said.

Talisa is hoping to graduate in October 2018. If she does, she will be the first student from the group to graduate with her Certificate III.

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Talisa's advice for people thinking about completing a certificate through the Rural and Remote Workforce Initiative is simple.

“Definitely do it! One hundred per cent. I have had awesome support. It is rewarding.”

What is rural and remote?

QCOSS is currently delivering the Rural and Remote Workforce Initiative, which aims to provide additional study support to early childhood education and care educators in priority rural and remote areas of Queensland to gain approved early childhood qualifications. The Rural and Remote Workforce Initiative has three separate but integrated elements. The Indigenous Remote Support Coordination (IRSC) project provides support to educators in remote Indigenous communities to gain approved early childhood qualifications. The Growing Our Own Program (GOOP) provides additional study support for rural and remote educators to meet legislative qualification requirements. The Rural and Remote Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) Scholarship Program is aimed at supporting Diploma and Advanced Diploma qualified educators in rural and remote services to gain an approved ECT qualification.

Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF)The Human Services Quality Framework is the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors' system for assessing and promoting improvement in the quality of human services delivered with department investment.

Since 2013, QCOSS has partnered with the department to provide a range of supports to assist the sector to implement the Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF). These supports are primarily targeted at organisations funded under the Community Services and Child and Family funding streams that are transitioning to HSQF for the first time. Our supports include:

One-on-one or small group support – to assist organisations that are new to HSQF to implement a quality system and prepare for their quality assessment activities.

A range of HSQF specific information and resources available online through the Community Door website.

In 2017-18 Matt Tamou, the Manager of the Harlaxton Neighbourhood Centre in Toowoomba, used the free, one-on-one support QCOSS provides to assist organisations transferring across to the HSQF.

The Harlaxton team is small. Apart from volunteers and the secretary, who works a couple of days a week, Matt operates a ‘one-man band’ at the centre. To make things more difficult, the HSQF was rolling out at the Harlaxton Neighbourhood Centre when they were in the midst of moving offices. Understandably, Matt appreciated the HSQF assistance he received from QCOSS. “We were in a temporary premise and, during the move, we were expected to get all the HSQF documentation up and running and complete it,” Matt said.

“The pressure was on us straight up,” he said. “We had done the body of work required but still needed to streamline the information and fix the holes in our reports for HSQF,” Matt explained.

Matt said some of the internal language used in the HSQF requirements is confusing, so he appreciated the assistance he received from QCOSS to clear up any misunderstandings.

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"QCOSS gave us one-to-one support, which was great! It was rather quick on both sides," Matt said.

"We had limited time so QCOSS asked us to send through what we had already done. They looked over it and smartened things up. It was much needed help, which we utilised,” Matt said.

“QCOSS provides an invaluable service. We will continue to use it,” he added.

Matt said he is already starting to look at the HSQF requirements again.

“I have to review. Our AGM is at the end of the year and I want to make sure I am up to date with everything. It’s like paying taxes. You need to reassess it every year.”

When Harlaxton Neighbourhood Centre first went through the HSQF guidelines, Matt realised about 70 per cent of their policy and procedures already adhered to the HSQF guidelines, with the exception of following up. After looking into the HSQF guidelines, Matt realised the Harlaxton Neighbourhood Centre, which is currently not registered with the NDIS, could possibly apply to be a registered NDIS provider."We may be missing out on funding as we are not currently registered as an NDIS provider. This could be another avenue and resource of funding for the centre.”

Community DoorCommunity Door offers information, resources and news to community-managed organisations in Queensland. On the site you will find guides, templates, legislation changes, research and reports - covering a range of topics such as child protection, mental health, fundraising, and human resource management. Community Door is updated daily with the latest news and information relevant to the sector. It aims to assist in all aspects of operating a community services organisation with templates, guides and resources.

Community Door’s newsletter CommunityNews delivers updates directly to subscribers, giving them a roundup of what’s new in the community services sector. The latest grants, events, government updates and resources are dropped into inboxes every fortnight. It includes regular updates on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF).

The suite of websites also includes online training courses to support community service workers in Australia. The QCOSS Community Door eTraining site provides free, self-paced online courses to enhance the knowledge of workers and enhance their professional development. Course topics include cultural integrity, governance and workplace mentoring. Courses are available to any user through guest access while registered users can complete the course quizzes and download certificates of completion.

The Network Spaces site provides a space for the community services sector to collaborate, connect and share. It allows those with a common interest to post updates, share documents and create events. While users can set up their own network, they are also free to join the groups already busy collaborating on the site.

Under the Community Door awning, StudioQ is home to multimedia resources, with videos and podcasts showcasing forums, workshops, interviews and even animations

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on a broad range of social service topics.

Community Door has provided me with the resources I need to develop training materials and have sample templates relating to specific areas of community services – I would recommend the website to anybody

Great resource Everyone in our organisation uses the e-training Keep up the good work

Policy and advocacyQCOSS advocates for social change that is economically and environmentally responsible.

QCOSS is proud to undertake informed advocacy to elected representatives at every possible opportunity as we work towards a Queensland free of poverty and disadvantage.

Neighbourhood and community centres consultation reportIn 2017 QCOSS and the Queensland Families and Communities Association (QFCA) consulted with neighbourhood and community centres across Queensland. Participation in the consultation was high and well distributed across regions and locality types, with 82 per cent of the 122 funded neighbourhood and community centres in Queensland engaging in the process.

The report, which was the largest community consultation of its kind in Queensland, found three key themes relating to resourcing, recognition and engagement.

These findings were used to inform the Queensland Government within the Investment Management Services (IMS) workshops in late 2017, leading to a review of the Queensland Government Neighbourhood Centre Program.

Roslyn Wade, the Centre Coordinator for Tara Neighbourhood Centre, was part of the Neighbourhood Centre Consultation in 2017. She believes the consultation and subsequent report is important as it helps the state government and community better understand the diverse work neighbourhood and community centres do.

“As a community centre, we don’t just do little things… and I think that is what has come out in the report. The community centre is funded to do this little box, but we do so much more,” Roslyn explained.

For the Tara Neighbourhood Centre, the range of work is extensive.

“We are the first point of contact. We take referrals from a variety of services, ranging from police, health, Council and other government departments, schools, aged care services, other non-government organisation and anything in between,” she said.

However, the Tara Neighbourhood Centre is not just a referral centre.

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“If it is too hard, they call us. We have helped a lot of community groups with governance work. When visiting services come, we manage their appointments. Neighbourhood centres are also used by research groups as contact points,” Roslyn said.

“It’s not just little bits. Over the years we’ve been asked do almost anything. Some of the stranger things being help in choosing Lotto numbers or to help search for a wife.”

In the past year, the centre has had well over 1000 requests for information, advice and referrals. This number does not include any Centrelink or family service requests.

“There are no other services,” Roslyn explained.

“We are a community centre because it is a small town with nowhere else to go. We are 100 kilometres east of Dalby and 80 kilometres north of Chinchilla with no public transport. We cover 10,000 square kilometres,” Roslyn said.

That is why the consultation was so important.

“The consultation was a true community development process. I am hoping what comes out of this from the grassroots level will influence the policy. We will find out what is really happening.”

Roslyn said the neighbourhood centres consultation differed from other consultations.

"The difference is it is a collective consultation, which is pretty rare,” she said.

Roslyn would know. She has been in the industry for over 25 years. Prior to that, she was working for a government Minister. She has also been part of consultations before.

“I was part of fair level funding consultation a few years ago. While they respected our opinions, I see the collection of the opinions and information has gone somewhere this time,” she said.

“We are being heard.”

Roslyn said the consultations were a good opportunity to reconnect with networks.

“By coming together and saying what we used to do gave us the impetus to reenergise our networks. It was good to get together with other services to talk about the issues they are having to see that we are not alone.”

Social services reformIn 2017, the Australian Government attempted to introduce sweeping reforms which undermined the fabric of Australia’s social safety net and demonised people accessing income support. Alongside Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and community groups, QCOSS worked to challenge the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017.

The Bill proposed to restrict claim requirements, limit exemptions and tighten compliance. While it simplifies the system, it also reduced some payments. QCOSS supported the recommendations of the ACOSS submission to the Senate Inquiry which, along with most of the submissions, opposed the Welfare Reform Bill. Those who are unemployed will no longer be back-paid to the day they first lodged a claim, effectively imposing a multi-week wait for

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payment depending on how long Centrelink takes to process claims. This is particularly concerning in the face of reports of service delivery issues and potential privatisation of services in this area.

QCOSS believes that accessing the social safety net, as a right, is a critical part of a civil society and supports social cohesion. These proposed changes unfairly target people experiencing vulnerability by cutting or quarantining payments and tightening eligibility. This undermines the system that is intended to support them.

One element of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill was the drug testing trials. The Bill had proposed to place people who return a positive drug test onto income management. QCOSS opposed the mandatory drug testing trial.

In October 2017, the Federal Government announced that the drug testing trials would be removed from the Welfare Reform Bill.

However, in February 2018, the Australian Government quietly announced the reintroduction of mandatory drug testing for people accessing income support. Although it was removed from the Welfare Reform Bill, it was then proposed separately as the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Drug Testing Trial) Bill 2018. This was despite the fact there is no evidence of a causal link between people receiving this benefit and those with drug problems.

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QCOSS does not support this approach because addressing complex health and social issues like substance use problems through the welfare system is fundamentally flawed.

“Mandatory drug testing trials further stigmatise people needing to access our income support system,” QCOSS CEO Mr. Mark Henley said.

“The evidence does not support claims of a high incidence of longer-term ‘dependency’ for people accessing income support, nor does it show that drug dependency and receiving income support go hand in hand.”

“We believe that any changes to our social safety- net must be evidence based and support wellbeing. We believe the income support system can be run fairly and efficiently. Evidence supports that treating people humanely and with dignity has a positive impact on the whole community.”

Say NO to the cashless debit cardThe federal government continues to push through the expansion of the cashless debit card trial into Queensland’s Hinkler electorate of Hervey Bay and Bundaberg. The trial quarantines 80 per cent of the person’s income on the card so it cannot be used toward purchasing alcohol, drugs or be used for gambling. Alongside ACOSS and community groups, QCOSS stands strongly against the cashless debit card. It is fundamentally flawed thinking that complex social issues, such as alcohol, drug and gambling problems, can be solved through changes in the income support system.

One community group that has been fighting hard against the cashless debit card is the No Cashless Debit Card for the Hinkler region group. Kathryn Wilkes is the leader of the group. QCOSS became aware of Kathryn’s efforts to stop the card in 2017 when it was first suggested the card be introduced into the Hinkler region. She has provided much insight into the real impacts of the card and the feelings of the community. This has provided valuable input and rigor into the advocacy QCOSS has done to try and stop the card.

“It started when I watched the Senate Inquiry into the cashless debit card for Ceduna in 2015,” Kathryn said. At the Inquiry, Kathryn saw the Ceduna mayor in South Australia denigrating the character of people accessing income support.

“He made them all out to be drug users,” she said.

Kathryn understands how people on social support feel. She has been on the disability support pension for the past 20 years. She has seen, first hand, people trying to deal with drug addictions. She has listened to people and their stories. “I treated them like human beings,” she said.

“It all comes back to trauma and abuse. Every single time. The right wing just doesn’t have that empathy. People don’t recover from trauma by being beaten with a big stick. They are trivialising my trauma – I am a survivor of it,” Kathryn said.

Since 2015, Kathryn has been at the forefront of the grassroots fight. She helped to set up the No Cashless Debit Card for Ceduna region Facebook group. She also helps run the national No Cashless Debit Card Facebook page.

“Somebody asked me what is going to happen beyond the Facebook group," she said.

"The next thing I know, they have lumped the card on us in Hervey Bay.”

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In response, Kathryn initiated the No Cashless Debit Card for Hinkler Region Facebook group, which now has over 2,000 members. Through networks she made from the Facebook groups, she also became a member of the Say No Seven – a group of seven activists from around the country using their combined strength to fiercely oppose the cashless debit card.

For the past 14 months, Kathryn and other members of the Say No Seven group have been on the ground in the Hinkler region, organising protests and educating locals about the card. One of the largest protests she organised was the Hands in the Sand protest in Hervey Bay. Almost 5,000 cardboard hands were planted in the sand at Scarness Beach to represent the various benefits the people in the region received from Centrelink. The hands were a sign of how many people would be affected by the card rolling out in the region.

“I have my freedom of speech. The thing that is annoying these people the most is I won’t shut up.”

Kathryn’s activism has not gone unnoticed. In November 2017 Kathryn fundraised and travelled to Canberra with other cashless debit card activists to appear before the Cashless Debit Card Senate Inquiry. She was also invited to speak on the first day of the two-day QCOSS conference in May 2018, sitting on the panel with ACOSS’ CEO Cassandra Goldie.

“Cassandra came up to me and said she has been watching all my videos,” Kathryn said.

“She said, ‘We need more troublemakers like you.’”

Kathryn said the public are starting to question the card.

“Everyone is starting to take notice. Eventually the public will turn around and say enough is enough.”

“If we hadn’t fought so hard the card would have started by now. With our efforts, your [QCOSS] efforts and other efforts, we have stopped it [for now]. I just hope we can stop it. They [the federal government] are hellbent on not stopping it.”

QCOSS is proud to work alongside community groups like the No Cashless Debit Card for the Hinkler region. Kathryn has provided insight into the real impact of the card within the community, which has helped with QCOSS’ input when advocating against the card.

QCOSS will continue to work and advocate against the card and support the Hinkler community.

Everyone deserves a place to call homeAccess to a home is critical and housing affordability is one of the biggest pressures facing people in Queensland. Housing is foundational for getting and keeping a job, a child’s education, quality health, and for strong family and community relationships.

QCOSS recognises the importance of affordable, accessible and sustainable housing for all Queenslanders, especially those experiencing poverty and disadvantage. The QCOSS Housing Policy Review is an integrated and comprehensive response to the decline in housing affordability. The review explores the background of housing policy by comparing policy frameworks of government, peak bodies and expert researchers. This comprehensive, comparative review and analysis of different policy frameworks brings the current fragmented policy into a holistic, coherent and integrated model.

“This comprehensive review is intended as a high-level framework to develop further policies,” QCOSS’ Senior Policy Officer Rodney Holmes said.

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To ensure relevant, emerging information was not excluded during the process of writing the review, Rodney said the team would review relevant reports as they came out, analyse them and incorporate elements as they went.

“We half build the house, then move in and keep renovating,” he explained. “We know that this kind of work must always evolve with new thinking."

A diverse group of stakeholders and peak bodies were then consulted during the Housing Briefing and through the Housing Survey, which helped to gain further insight.

“The intention was to do a fairly thorough consultation,” Rodney explained.

The wide range of stakeholders included the housing, tenant and seniors’ peak bodies, community housing providers, industry bodies, energy consultants, community service organisations, disability workers, tenants’ groups, neighbourhood centres and homelessness services. The results and feedback from all these consultations will be incorporated into the final version of the Housing Position Statement.

Rodney said the consultations were rewarding. “There was lots of interaction – which was both challenging and good.”

“It is worth noting that despite the diversity of participants, there was broad agreement across the range of contributors. Although each group had a different focus on different parts of the framework, they were invited to comment on every part.”

Feedback from the survey

I like QCOSS’ recommendations. Moreover, I think it is critically important for peak representative bodies to not shy away from moral, ideological and political questions. Particularly in reference to the so called ‘free-market’. Rather, address them head on.

I fully support your position statement. Thank you. Totally agree with the statements but recognise we have some work to do convincing

decision makers and leaders I strongly support QCOSS in their efforts in addressing not only the root causes of

homelessness, but also finding viable solutions. I thank QCOSS for being a solid advocate for equity, quality and quantity in Queensland

Congratulations on taking up this position and advocating for the sector, we see this supporting the ongoing work of Queensland Shelter

I think you’ve done a great job so far, it’s fantastic to see QCOSS focussing attention and resources on this issue

I am in total support of the position the QCOSS paper outlines I have strongly agreed with some statement above because they described exactly the

kind of housing system I would want to see in Queensland and we (Queenslanders) need to see the homelessness and other crises associated with lack of housing eliminated for the welfare of everyone

Light at the end of the tunnelEvery person should be able to turn their lights on and have a hot shower without worrying about how to pay their power bill. QCOSS has a long history of prioritising energy as a cost-of- living issue for low-income households and consumers experiencing vulnerability. QCOSS’ policy team has been working hard this year on various projects, submissions and reports to ensure this remains possible for every person in Queensland.

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37

In addition to the energy literacy and efficiency forums and the Sunny Savers project (see page 26-27), the policy team has continued to build capacity in community organisations through the Essential Services Consultative Group (ESCG) meetings and maintained contact with the network of Switched On Communities and Energy Savvy Families Champion organisations.

QCOSS values these strong relationships and has worked with these organisations on QCOSS submissions, and their own, throughout the year. These networks continue to be a valuable conduit for QCOSS to identify emerging energy issues. The energy issues identified by organisations were a key part of policy advice QCOSS gave to the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME).

Furthermore, we continued to provide advice to energy industry stakeholders through active participation on customer councils. QCOSS is also a member of the Energy Queensland Regulatory Workshop Group, which met throughout the year and made submissions to various non-government review processes throughout the year (see page 43 for the full list).

QCOSS was a partner in Social Access to Solar Gardens. The project explored the potential of solar gardens to provide affordable access to renewable energy for the low-income renters. QCOSS attended and contributed to two workshops as part of the project in both Sydney and Brisbane.

Better connections in Woorabinda

Douglas attended the QCOSS Conference in May 2018. From there, he was invited to attend the Energy Queensland community forum in Rockhampton. At the forum, Douglas sat with Rodney Oram from Energy Queensland, who shares his interest in IT. Douglas told Rodney that Woorabinda students miss out on educational opportunities due to the lack of internet accessible computers in the community.

Rodney shared the story with his Telstra business contacts, who have since donated six new iPads to the centre. Rodney travelled to the community to personally present Douglas and other Woorabinda community leaders with the iPads. Energy Queensland will also donate some of their decommissioned desktop computers to the centre in 2018.

QCOSS will continue to work in and support the Woorabinda community.

QCOSS’ flood of water worksAs QCOSS works towards a Queensland free from poverty and disadvantage, it is ingrained in our DNA that we continue to look at affordable, essential services for renters. Last year we established a nexus between the rental market and energy and, this year, we also focussed on the water space, as water prices continue to increase.

Every person should be able to have a shower, wash their clothes or flush the toilet without worrying about how to pay their water bill. To ensure every person in Queensland can pay their water bills, QCOSS’ policy team has been working hard on various programs.

One piece of work is our fight to minimise impact of the Queensland Competition Authority’s (QCA) final recommendation which will see the increase in bulk water prices trickle down to household bills. The recommendation, which was accepted by government in June, affects residents in South East Queensland from 1 July 2018.

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QCOSS CEO Mark Henley said Queenslanders are already drowning in cost-of-living expenses in a period of low wage growth.

“In this instance home owners and renters need to be treated in the same way. All renters are currently ineligible for water concessions which can leave them high and dry.”

Renters are especially vulnerable as many are not able to put in water efficient devices and have no way of knowing if there are concealed leaks.

“Water prices are set to increase annually over the next three years, so it is essential that people look at identifying and fixing any concealed leaks as they will really cost households,” Mr. Henley said.

Residents in Redland, Noosa and Sunshine Coast council areas can expect the highest increases as their prices are brought in line with other areas in South East Queensland.

QCOSS will work with relevant water providers/services to monitor the implementation of water provider hardship policies and programs in these areas and encourage them to proactively provide information to their customers on concessions and hardship policies.

Among other water-focussed projects were six water literacy workshops hosted by QCOSS across South- East Queensland. The workshops were targeted at community organisations in the region that provide direct cost-of-living support to their clients, such as financial counsellors, emergency relief workers/volunteers, family support workers and tenancy support workers. The workshops were an excellent opportunity to gauge the extent to which low-income households and people experiencing vulnerability were struggling to pay water bills and identify any other water related issues.

QCOSS' focus for the year ahead will be to improve practices among property owners and managers to ensure renters get fair treatment in respect to water charges.

Feedback from water workshops

Diversity of professional speakers Keep up the good work Friendly, open format Great presentation Clarification and information

COSS Network – the power to influenceThe Councils of Social Service across Australia have unity of purpose and a compelling case to end inequality and poverty. That’s what motivates us and where our power to influence is. Our combined national network has more than 4,000 organisations and individuals working with them: that’s the foundation of who we are, that is our power to influence.

One purpose, one message, one goal, thousands of voices. That’s why governments – federal, state and local – are listening. They know we are powerful and influential, not just in terms of numbers but in capacity, commitment, skills and vision. That’s why our network is engaged with government in negotiating policies that will meet our goals – and theirs. Only by staying engaged can we achieve change. That’s why both community organisations and the

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business sector want to form alliances with us. Those alliances make our network even more formidable.

To achieve the goal of ending inequality and poverty we and our allies build resilience within communities by enabling and amplifying their voice to challenge policies, systems, behaviours and attitudes. We equip them and our strategic partners with the compelling evidence – the big picture on the social, economic and political need for change, and the moving human experiences that are the motivator for what we do.

We listen to people in communities through consultation and grassroots engagement, we mobilise the skills and experience in communities, so their voice grows in power, endurance and eloquence now and through the generations.

We are leading the great debates about Australia’s future and those who most need this are with us on the national stage as part of that equality of opportunity we strive for. We speak not only of the challenges faced by communities and individuals but, most critically, the successes. They are a critical part of the evidence for change.

And we celebrate these with our allies across the spectrum of Australian life and share those successes, this is why our power to achieve change is even greater and more enduring. Yes, the number of organisations, alliances and individuals is one measure of the COSS Network’s influence. But the supreme indicator of our powerful influence and success is in the number of lives we change and the number of communities we enrich through an end to poverty, inequality and disadvantage and the creation of a more equal and inclusive Australia.

Peak powerEvery Queenslander deserves a place to call home, to be able to put food on the table, access education and healthcare, and be afforded a level of wellbeing. Current social and human services systems don’t always provide those outcomes and changing the way we do things is essential to the wellbeing of every Queenslander. We engage everyday with the Queensland Government on an ambitious reform agenda to improve outcomes for all people in Queensland.

The Queensland Community Services Peaks have been collaborating for change for decades, focussed on some of the most challenging issues for Queenslanders. Queensland’s Community Service Peaks are well positioned to use this collaborative capacity to support ambitious systemic reform across government, community and the private sector. Collectively we are more and can deliver more than if we stand alone.

QCOSS, COTA, NDS, Volunteering Queensland, ECCQ, Community Legal Centres Queensland, QShelter, QDN, PeakCare, QATSICPP, CSIA, Queensland Alliance for Mental Health and Tenants Queensland commit to working together and with all stakeholders to implement successful reform.

In the 2017-18 financial year the Peaks Collaboration focussed their combined efforts in four areas:

A Human Rights Act for Queensland Family Matters Accessible and Affordable Housing The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

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EventsTop 10 events by attendance

1. Movement for Change – play your part (311)2. QCOSS State Budget Breakfast 2018 (296)3. Webinar: Privacy Act Changes (100)4. Webinar: Skilling Queenslanders for Work - 30/1/2018 (98)5. All about Skilling Queenslanders for Work (98)6. Webinar: Skilling Queenslanders for Work – 10/8/2017 (82)7. Creating Thriving Communities in Queensland – Townsville Roundtable (78)8. Webinar: Skilling Queenslanders for Work – 31/1/18 (66)9. QCOSS Annual General Meeting 2017 (64)10. Webinar: Cost of Living series – Changing to SPER (64)

Total number of event and webinar attendees: 2614

31 locations visited 56 event days 8 webinars held

Busiest months:

August – 20 events

February – 27 events

The written wordAugust

Submission to the Inquiry into proposed Housing Legislation (Building Better Futures) Amendment Bill 2017

September

Switched On Communities Final Report QCOSS submission to the Parliamentary Committee on the proposed Child Protection

Reform Amendment Bill Review of the Cashless Debit Card trial and evaluation Policy Statement - Cashless Debit Card Trial – Queensland Submission to the Inquiry into proposed Social Services Legislation Amendment

(Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017

October

The cost of living and age pensioner households issue 5 QCOSS Annual Report 2016-17 Strengthening Our Place - Place-based sector development pilot projects Final Project

Report

November

Queensland Election Statement 2017 - A manifesto for change

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December

Energy Literacy and Efficiency Forums Final Report Service delivery into Queensland’s remote and discrete Indigenous communities

January

QCOSS Policy Statement - Federal Government Welfare Reform Bills Regulated retail electricity process for 2018-19: Interim Consultation Paper

February

Queensland Neighbourhood Centres – Community Consultation results paper Creating Thriving Communities in Queensland roundtable Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation

– Queensland Public Hearing

March

QCOSS Pulse – Stories from Queensland Communities Community Energy Champions Model Proposal Submission – National Energy Guarantee (NEG) Draft Design Consultation Paper

April

Prospect joins the QCOSS Pulse QCOSS Budget Priority Statement 2018-19 - Leading the movement for change Submission to the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) Draft Determination -

Regulated Retail Electricity Prices 2018-19 Submission to the Inquiry into proposed Social Services Legislation Amendment (Drug

Testing Trial) Bill 2018 Submission to the Queensland Competition Authority’s (QCA) review of Guaranteed

Service Levels (GSL) for 2020-25 Submission to the to the consultation paper on the National Energy Retail Amendment

(Preventing discounts on inflated energy rates)

May

Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission Review of the Family Law System

Submission to the Issues Paper - Network Tariffs 2020-25 Submission in response to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) Preliminary

Framework and Approach (F&A) paper for regulating Energex and Ergon Energy Regulatory Proposals (RESET 2020- 25)

June

Are we investing for the change we want and need? QCOSS Queensland State Budget Commentary 2018-19

Submission to Australian Energy Market Commission on Estimated Meter Reads Sunny Savers Regional Project Report - Solar on Public Housing trial Review of Queensland Energy Legislation in response to the Review of Queensland

Energy Legislation Issues Paper

Page 39 / October 2018

Funders and sponsorsQCOSS is supported by the vice-regal patronage of His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland.

Our funders:

Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability [now known as Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors]

Department of Education and Training Department of Energy and Water Supply [now known as Department of Natural

Resources, Mines and Energy] Department of Environment and Heritage Protection [now known as Department of

Environment and Science] Energy Consumers Australia Energy Queensland Limited Queensland Family and Child Commission Queensland Mental Health Commission

Our sponsors:

AGL Energy Aon Australia Churches of Christ in Queensland Community Management Solutions Energy Queensland Limited HESTA Infoxchange Mission Australia Queensland Treasury

Sincere thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters. We appreciate your energy and commitment. We thank you on behalf of the community services sector and vulnerable individuals and families throughout Queensland who have benefited from our shared vision.

Financial ReportDirectors’ Report The following persons were directors of the company during the whole of the financial year and up to the date of this report, unless otherwise stated:

DirectorsKate Tully

Peter Emery (resigned November 2017)

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Gerry Weatherall

Patrick Bulman (resigned January 2018)

Nadia Currie (appointed November 2017)

Faiza El-Higzi

Richard Johnson

Matt Gardiner

Anita Veivers

Objective: A Queensland free of poverty and disadvantage.

Principal ActivitiesQCOSS is the state-wide organisation for individuals and organisations working in the social and community service sector. Key activities during the financial year focussed on providing effective policy advice, working to strengthen responsive community services and having productive partnerships with communities, the community services sector and government. This work is done with a Queensland free of poverty and disadvantage front of mind.

Strategy for achieving the objectives- A policy agenda to eliminate poverty and disadvantage through informed advocacy- Innovative, effective, valued community services- Mutually beneficial relationships with our stakeholders- A strong, sustainable and effective organisation.

Operating ResultThe surplus/(deficit) after providing for income tax amounted to $128,422 (2017 surplus: $208,769).

Performance measures- A membership that sees value in QCOSS membership- QCOSS seen by key stakeholders as the leading authority on issues relating to poverty

and disadvantage- Advice and research to inform policy, program and service design for improved social and

economic outcomes is sought and acknowledged- Advocacy outcomes for access to a basic standard of living and essential services for all

Queenslanders- Collaboration is facilitated between service providers, government and communities to

improve outcomes for people and communities- Community Sector organisations are prepared for key reforms impacting the sector - Appropriate organisational resources and structures in place to support delivery of key

initiatives

Page 41 / October 2018

Information on DirectorsKate Tully, Director (Chair)

M Bus, Grad Cert Bus (Philanthropy & Non-profit Studies), Cert Gov Prac, BA (Comm).

Kate is an experienced non-profit leader and governance professional; her areas of interest include governance, strategy and change management. Kate has been an active member of governing and advisory bodies for more than 20 years, including the Australian Young Business and Professional Women’s Committee, Ethics Review Committee of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Premiers Council for Women (NSW), and Second Chance Programme, which raises funds for homeless women. In addition to her governance roles, Kate has managed several successful businesses in the private and not for profit sectors. Kate was CEO of YWCA Queensland from 2011 to 2018. In her current role, Kate is Head of College at Duchesne College, within the University of Queensland, a residential college for young women predominantly from rural and regional Australia.

Peter Emery, Director (resigned Nov. 2017)

BA; LLB; Grad Dip Mgt; FAICD; FFin; FIML; FGIA; FCIS

Peter is Chair of the Governance Committee and has over 38 years’ experience in management as a lawyer, investment banker, general manager, company director and consultant. Peter spent the first five years of his career in private legal practice and then joined the NatWest Group, a leading international bank, as Corporate Counsel. Over a period spanning some 15 years, Peter enjoyed a variety of senior and general management positions in Sydney and Melbourne. Since 1998, Peter has carried on his own consulting and contracting business which has included appointment as a director of NatWest Markets Australia Limited and its group companies, management of a boutique legal firm and Adjunct Lecturer in Law at Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

Peter is currently Chair of TransitCare and advisory board member of Artius Group. He is a facilitator for various Australian Institute of Company Directors education programs including the Company Directors Course and The Not for Profit Board. Peter has degrees in Arts and Law and postgraduate qualifications in Management. He holds the Australian Institute of Company Directors Advanced Diploma and is an accredited mediator and trainer.

Gerry Weatherall, Director

Dip Electronics & Communications, MAICD

Gerry is Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee and is a member of the Senior Executive of Churches of Christ in Queensland holding the position of Executive Officer Business Development. Gerry is responsible for driving the development of new business including through acquisitions, an extensive building programme and development of information technology services.

Churches of Christ provides services to over 45,000 people across seniors living, homelessness and housing, child, youth and family services and chaplaincy and through a number of local Christian churches. Prior to joining the Executive Team in 2010, Gerry was the Deputy Chair of the Board of Churches of Christ Care in 2009 and of the new combined Board of Churches of Christ Queensland in 2010.

Gerry has had significant other experience in corporate leadership having served on the Board of EDMI Ltd, an International company listed in Singapore. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Richard Johnson, Director

BSocSci, BCouns, MCouns.

Richard trained as a Registered Nurse, has degrees in Social Science, Counselling, and Master of Counselling. He is a member of the CEO Institute and has over 30 years’ experience working for a number of community services, non-government organisations including senior executive positions in UnitingCare Community and more recently Suncare Community Services.

Having spent most of his career working in regional Queensland, along with his role in providing senior leadership in community recovery activities, Richard is acutely aware of many of the issues facing individuals, families and communities throughout regional areas of Queensland.

Faiza El Higzi, Director

BSc (Hons), Grad Dip Pjt Mgt, MAppSc, Med. JP(Qual)

Faiza has over 20 years’ experience in the community sector as a board member, manager and volunteer focussing on emerging African, Arab and Islamic communities. She also has extensive experience working with youth and refugees. Currently Faiza is a member of the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council and Metro South Health Consumer Advisory Committee.

She was the Human Rights Advisor for the National Council for Women and a member of the Queensland Ministerial Multicultural Committee. Faiza was recently announced as the winner of 2018 Queensland Multicultural Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement.

Faiza has 10 years’ experience in government policy at both state and federal levels of strategic policy, research and industry development. Her experience in the NGO sector includes community development, refugee settlement and youth engagement.

Faiza has several qualifications including a post graduate level in Architecture, Project Management, International Business and Education. She is currently a PHD scholar at the University for Queensland focussing on gender studies.

Matt Gardiner, Director

BSocSc (Couns), M. Clin. Couns., Grad. Dip. Strategic Leadership

Matt is Executive Director, Child & Family Services with Benevolent Society, leading a large, professional workforce across several states, to deliver services across a portfolio of counselling, early childhood education, mental health, violence prevention, child protection and community development and includes one of Australia’s first Social Benefit Bonds. Passionate about social justice, improving systems and therapeutic practice, Matt is an experienced practitioner and has held several senior executive roles some of Australia's leading not-for-profits. He is proud to contribute to the ongoing strength of QCOSS in its strategic objectives and to represent members across the state. Matt is a Member of Australian Institute of Management, where he’s currently completing his MBA.

Patrick Bulman, Director (resigned Jan. 2018)

MBA, Advanced Dip. Nursing & Mgt, RGON, RPN, Dip. Personnel Mgt, Dip Supervisory Mgt, FAIM, MAICD, AuSAE

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Patrick has over 30 years as an experienced senior manager working across community, allied health, aged care and mental health services both locally and overseas, managing culturally diverse healthcare community environments in the commercial and NFP sector. Passionate about social justice, Patrick is employed as CEO of Encircle, a community owned 'for purpose' organisation with services based across four sites leading a broad portfolio of Community Services throughout the Moreton Bay region.

With 14 years Board and Management Committee experience, Patrick has an interest in strategy, change management and corporate governance with an affinity for successful advocacy and lobbying. Patrick was previously State Manager of Regis, General Manager of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, CEO of Parkinson’s Queensland and CEO of Asthma Foundation of Queensland.

Anita Veivers, Director

Advanced Diploma Community Service Management; Diploma Management; Diploma Business.

Anita Veivers is a highly experienced senior executive, recently appointed to the position of Executive Director of Centacare Cairns, a local organisation highly regarded as a long-standing provider of person centred community services across mental health, counselling, aged care, migrant services and disability support. Anita was previously CEO of ARC Disability Services, in the leadership role of this specialist disability services provider for more than 20 years.

Passionate about working with people and community, Anita has served as a member of several community advisory groups across the health, disability and community sectors, and chairs the FNQ Regional Disability Advisory Council as well as representing FNQ on the Queensland Disability Advisory Council, currently in her third term as Deputy Chair. Anita has almost 30 years community sector experience in Australia and the UK and is a strong advocate for community collaboration and partnership.

Nadia Currie, Director

Bachelor of Law and due to complete her Master of Law in July 2019

As the current Operations Manager for the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP) and broader workforce, Nadia ensures the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, in and out of care, are heard and further represented to achieve equality and access to services.

Nadia has served on several committees and advisory groups, including the Aboriginal Suicides and Mental Health Committee at the Hunter Institute for Mental Health, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Budget Steering Committee, and served as Chair, Patient Journey Working Committee for the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia.

Nadia’s interest on the QCOSS Board of Directors is to ensure robust discussion pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social determinants as she has had previous experience in native title, stolen generation linkage, housing and health.

Company secretary – Annette Schoone

Annette is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds qualifications in Community Service Management, Community Development and Project Management coupled with more than 25 years’ experience in management and leadership positions, strategy and

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operations, governance, and service management gained in local government and the not for profit sectors.

Meetings of directorsThe number of meetings of the company's Board of Directors ('the Board') and of each Board committee held during the year ended 30 June 2018, and the number of meetings attended by each director were:

Directors Full Board Finance and Audit Committee

Governance Committee

Attended Held Attended Held Attended HeldKate Tully 7 8 2 2Peter Emery 4 4 1 1Gerry Weatherall 8 8 4 4Richard Johnson 8 8 3 3Faiza El-Higzi 7 8 2 4Matt Gardiner 8 8 2 2Patrick Bulman 1 4 0 2Anita Veivers 7 8 3 3Nadia Currie 2 5 2 2

Held: represents the number of meetings held during the time the director held office or was a member of the relevant committee.

Contributions on winding upIn the event of the company being wound up, ordinary members are required to contribute a maximum of $10 each. The total amount that members of the company are liable to contribute if the company is wound up is $5,100 based on 510 current ordinary members.

Subsequent Events to Reporting PeriodThere are no subsequent events to be noted.

Auditor's independence declarationA copy of the Auditor's Independence Declaration as required under Australian Charities and not for profits Commission Act 2012 and the Corporations Act 2001 is included in this report. This report is made in accordance with a resolution of directors, pursuant to section 298(2) (a) of the Corporations Act 2001.

On behalf of the directors: Kate Tully and Gerry Weatherall

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Company Secretary

Statement of profit and loss and other comprehensive income

Notes 2018 2017

$ $

Revenue 2 4,611,049 3,220,953

Employee benefits expense 3 (3,095,869) (2,063,316)

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Depreciation expense 3 (5,832) (8,105)

Computer costs (12,729) (18,637)

Conference/seminar costs (199,582) (326,380)

Consultancy fees (227,925) (199,582)

Travel and accommodation (252,585) (104,264)

Printing and stationery (23,453) (20,271)

Rent 3 (131,555) (140,068)

Postage (3,184) (3,486)

Telephone (27,113) (23,460)

Other expenses (507,068) (209,601)

Surplus before income tax expense 128,422 208,769

Income tax expense 1 - -

Surplus after income tax expense for the year 128,422 208,769

Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax - -

Total comprehensive income for the year 128,422 208,769

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

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Statement of financial position as at 30 June 2018

Notes 2017 2016

$ $

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents 4 3,729,707 3,262,117

Trade and other receivables 5 464,543 612,744

Other current assets 6 19,248 19,651

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS4,213,498 3,894,512

NONCURRENT ASSETS

Property, plant and equipment7 8,714 6,296

TOTAL NONCURRENT ASSETS8,714 6,296

TOTAL ASSETS 4,222,212 3,900,808

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Trade and other payables 8 1,704,333 1,490,546

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES1,704,333 1,490,546

NONCURRENT LIABILITIES

Long-term provisions9 67,220 88,025

TOTAL NONCURRENT LIABILITIES67,220 88,025

TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,771,553 1,578,571

NET ASSETS 2,450,659 2,322,237

EQUITY

Retained surpluses2,450,659 2,322,237

TOTAL EQUITY2,450,659 2,322,237

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

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Statement of changes in equity

Retained surpluses Total

$ $

Balance as at 1 July 2016 2,113,468 2,113,468

Surplus after income tax expense for the year 208,769 208,769

Other Comprehensive Income, net of tax - -

Total Comprehensive Income 208,769 208,769

Balance as at 30 June 2017 2,322,237 2,322,237

Balance as at 1 July 2017 2,322,237 2,322,237

Surplus after income tax expense for the year 128,422 128,422

Other Comprehensive Income, net of tax - -

Total Comprehensive Income 128,422 128,422

Balance as at 30 June 2018 2,450,659 2,450,659

Statement of cash flows

Notes 2018 2017

$ $

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Receipts from government grants, members and clients

3,728,275 3,215,042

Payments to suppliers and employees (4,337,821) (3,173,848)

Interest received 85,386 72,786

Net cash provided by operating activities 13(b) 475,840 113,980

CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

Payment for property, plant and equipment

(8,250) (2,819)

Net cash used in investing activities (8,250) (2,819)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 3,262,117 111,160

Cash at beginning of financial year 467,590 3,150,957

Cash at end of financial year 13(a) 3,729,707 3,262,117

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

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Note 1: Statement of significant accounting policiesGeneral informationThe financial statements cover Queensland Council of Social Service Company Ltd by guarantee as an individual entity. The financial statements are presented in Australian dollars, which is the company's functional and presentation currency.

Queensland Council of Social Service Company Ltd is a not-for-profit unlisted public company limited by guarantee, incorporated and domiciled in Australia. Its registered office and principal place of business are:

Ground Floor20 Pidgeon CloseWest End, Qld 4101

A description of the nature of the company's operations and its principal activities are included in the directors' report, which is not part of the financial statements.

The financial statements were authorised for issue, in accordance with a resolution of directors, on 28 September 2018. The directors have the power to amend and reissue the financial statements.

Basis of preparationThese general purpose financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and Interpretations issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board ('AASB'), the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission Act 2012(ACNC 2012), as appropriate for not-for-profit oriented entities. These financial statements also comply with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ('IASB').

Historical cost conventionThe financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

(a) Revenue

Revenue is recognised when it is probable that the economic benefit will flow to the company and the revenue can be reliably measured. Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable.

Sales revenue

Events, fundraising and membership are recognised when received or receivable.

Donations

Donations are recognised at the time the pledge is made.

Grants

Grants are recognised at their fair value where there is a reasonable assurance that the grant will be received, and all attached conditions will be complied with.

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Deferred Income

Deferred income represents grants received in advance for next financial year or unexpended grants of current year, which under the terms of agreement with the grantors, are refundable.

Interest

Interest revenue is recognised as interest when it is earned.

Other revenue

Other revenue is recognised when it is received or when the right to receive payment is established.

(b) Income Tax

As the company is a charitable institution in terms of subsection 50-5 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, as amended, it is exempt from paying income tax.

(c) Current and non-current classification

Assets and liabilities are presented in the statement of financial position based on current and non-current classification.

An asset is current when: it is expected to be realised or intended to be sold or consumed in normal operating cycle; it is held primarily for the purpose of trading; it is expected to be realised within twelve months after the reporting period; or the asset is cash or cash equivalent unless restricted from being exchanged or used to settle a liability for at least twelve months after the reporting period. All other assets are classified as non-current.

A liability is current when: it is expected to be settled in normal operating cycle; it is held primarily for the purpose of trading; it is due to be settled within twelve months after the reporting period; or there is no unconditional right to defer the settlement of the liability for at least twelve months after the reporting period. All other liabilities are classified as non-current.

(d) Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents includes cash on hand, deposits held at call with financial institutions, other short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of six months or less that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

(e) Trade and other receivables

Trade and other receivables are recognised at amortised cost, less any provision for impairment.

(f) Plant, plant and equipment

Plant and equipment is stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the acquisition of the items.

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Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis to write off the net cost of each item of property, plant and equipment over their expected useful lives as follows:

Class of fixed asset Useful lives Depreciation basisMotor vehicles 4 years Straight line Office equipment 4 to 5 years Straight lineFurniture, fixtures and fittings 10 years Straight lineLibrary 10 years Straight line

The residual values, useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at each reporting date.

An item of property, plant and equipment is de-recognised upon disposal or when there is no future economic benefit to the Company. Gains and losses between the carrying amount and the disposal proceeds are taken to profit or loss.

(g) Impairment of non-financial assets

Non-financial assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount.

(h) Trade and other payables

These amounts represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the company prior to the end of the financial year and which are unpaid. Due to their short-term nature they are measured at amortised cost and are not discounted. The amounts are unsecured and are usually paid within 30 days of recognition.

(i) Employee Benefits

Short-term employee benefits

Liabilities for wages and salaries, including non-monetary benefits, annual leave and long service leave expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date are recognised in current liabilities in respect of employees' services up to the reporting date and are measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled.

Other long-term employee benefits

The liability for annual leave and long service leave not expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date are recognised in non-current liabilities, provided there is an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability. The liability is measured as the present value of expected future payments to be made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date using the projected unit credit method. Consideration is given to expected future wage and salary levels, experience of employee departures and periods of service. Expected future payments are discounted using market yields at the reporting date on national government bonds with terms to maturity and currency that match, as closely as possible, the estimated future cash outflows.

(j) Fair value measurement

When an asset or liability, financial or non-financial, is measured at fair value for recognition or disclosure purposes, the fair value is based on the price that would be received to sell an

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asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date; and assumes that the transaction will take place either: in the principle market; or in the absence of a principle market, in the most advantageous market.

Fair value is measured using the assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, assuming they act in their economic best interest. For non-financial assets, the fair value measurement is based on its highest and best use. Valuation techniques that are appropriate in the circumstances and for which sufficient data are available to measure fair value, are used, maximising the use of relevant observable inputs and minimising the use of unobservable inputs.

(k) Goods and Services Tax (GST) and other similar taxes

Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of associated GST, unless the GST incurred is not recoverable from the tax authority. In this case it is recognised as part of the cost of the acquisition of the asset or as part of the expense.

Receivables and payables are stated inclusive of the amount of GST receivable or payable. The net amount of GST recoverable from, or payable to, the tax authority is included in other receivables or other payables in the statement of financial position.

Cash flows are presented on a gross basis. The GST components of cash flows arising from investing or financing activities which are recoverable from, or payable to the tax authority, are presented as operating cash flows.

Commitments and contingencies are disclosed net of the amount of GST recoverable from, or payable to, the tax authority.

(l) Leases

Leases of fixed assets, where substantially all the risks and benefits incidental to the ownership of the asset, but not the legal ownership, are transferred to the Company are classified as finance leases. Finance leases are capitalised, recording an asset and a liability equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments, including any guaranteed residual values.

Leased assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives where it is likely that the Company will obtain ownership of the asset, or over the term of the lease. Lease payments are allocated between the reduction of the lease liability and the lease interest expense for the period. Lease payments for operating leases, where substantially all the risks and benefits remain with the lessor, are charged as expenses in the periods in which they are incurred. Lease incentives received under operating leases are recognised as a liability. Lease payments received reduced the liability.

(m) New Accounting Standards for Application in Future Periods

The AASB has issued a number of new and amended Accounting Standards and Interpretations that have mandatory application dates for future reporting periods, some of which are relevant to the Company. The directors have decided not to early adopt any of the new and amended pronouncements. Their assessment of the pronouncements that are relevant to the Company but applicable in future reporting periods is set out over page.

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New/revised pronouncements Nature of change

Application date to the Company

Impact to the Company

AASB 1058 (issued December 2016) Income of Not-for- Profit Entities

AASB 1058 establishes principles and guidance when accounting for:

Transactions where the consideration to acquire an asset is significantly less than the fair value, principally to enable a not for profit (NFP) to further its objectives, and

The receipt of volunteer services.

AASB 1058 supersedes all current income recognition requirements for private sector NFP entities, and most of the requirements for public sector NFPs currently contained in AASB 1004 Contributions.

Annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019

Due to the recent release of this standard, the entity has not yet made a detailed assessment of the impact of this standard.

AASB 16 (issued February 2016)

Under AASB 16 all leases will be recognised on the statement of financial position, as the distinction between operating and finance leases is removed. Under the new standard, an asset (the right to use the leased item) and a financial liability to pay rentals are recognised. The only exceptions are short-term and low-value leases. The accounting for lessors will not significantly change.

Annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019

The entity has not yet made a detailed assessment of the impacts of applying the new leases standard.

AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The standard contains a single model that applies to contracts with customers and two approaches to recognising revenue: at a point in time or over time. The model features a contract- based five-step analysis of

1 January 2019

The Company has assessed the impact of AASB 15 and has noted that this will not have a material impact on the financials.

Page 55 / October 2018

transactions to determine whether, how much and when revenue is recognised. AASB 15 provides the following five-step process:

identify the contract(s) with a customer;

identify the performance obligations in the contract(s);

(n) Critical Accounting Estimates and JudgmentsThe preparation of the financial statements requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the company's accounting policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the financial statements.

Estimation of useful lives of assets

The company determines the estimated useful lives and related depreciation and amortisation charges for its property, plant and equipment and finite life intangible assets. The useful lives could change significantly as a result of technical innovations or some other event. The depreciation and amortisation charge will increase where the useful lives are less than previously estimated lives, or technically obsolete or non-strategic assets that have been abandoned or sold will be written off or written down.

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Note 2: Revenue

2018$

2017$

Operating activities

QCOSS project funding 3,739,052 2,578,796

- Other income 7,86,611 569,370

4,525,663 3,148,166

Non-operating activities

Interest 85,386 72,287

4,611,049 3,220,953

Note 3: Expenses

2018$

2017$

Surplus before income tax includes the following specific expenses:

Depreciation of noncurrent assets 5,832 8,105

Rental expense on operating leases

Minimum lease payments – property 131,555 140,068

Note 4: Cash and cash equivalents

2017$

2016$

Cash on hand 300 38

Cash at bank 1,358,378 802,792

Deposits at call 2,371,029 2,459,025

3,729,707 3,262,117

Note 5 Trade receivables

2018$

2017$

Trade receivables 464,543 612,744

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Note 6: Other current assets

2018$

2017$

Accrued Interest 11,222 12,893

Prepayments and other receivable 8,026 6,758

Deferred income - -

19,248 19,651

Note 7: Plant and equipment

2018$

2017$

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

(a) Office equipment

At cost 86,967 78,718

Less accumulated depreciation (78,711) (73,121)

8,256 5,597

(b) Office furniture and fittings

At cost 14,229 14,229

Less accumulated depreciation (13,771) (13,530)

458 699

Total property, plant and equipment 8,714 6,296

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ReconciliationMovement in the carrying amounts for each class of property, plant and equipment between the beginning and the end of the current financial year.

Furniture and

FittingsOffice

Equipment Total

$ $ $

2018

Balance at the beginning of the year 699 5,597 6,296

Additions - 8,249 8.249

Depreciation expense (241) (5,590) (5,832)

Carrying amount at end of year 458 8,256 8,714

2017

Balance at the beginning of the year 1,773 9,809 11,582

Additions - 2,820 2,819

Depreciation expense (1,074) (7,032) (8,105)

Carrying amount at end of year 699 5,597 6,296

Note 8: Trade and other payables

2018$

2017$

Trade payables 58,395 15,096

GST Payable 124,867 90,151

Annual leave 174,536 141,095

Accrued expenses 150,143 136,174

Long service and other leave 52,517 18,566

Deferred income 1,143,875 1,089,464

1,704,333 1,490,546

Note 9: Provisions

2018$

2017$

NONCURRENT

Employee entitlements – Long service leave 67,220 88,025

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Note 10: Capital and leasing commitments

2018$

2017$

Operating Lease Commitments

Non-cancellable operating leases contracted for but not capitalised in the financial statements

Payable — minimum lease payments

- not later than 12 months 32,674 129,590

- between 12 months and 5 years - 32,674

32,674 162,264

A new property lease agreement was signed in October 2016 which expires on 30 September 2018.

Note 11: Contingent liabilityThe company has a bank guarantee of $49,373 that relates to the lease agreement at 20 Pidgeon Close, which is secured by a term deposit. There are no other contingent liabilities.

Note 12: Related party transactionsThere were no related party transactions during 2018 financial year or in the prior year.

Key management personnel – disclosures relating to key management personnel are set out in note 15.

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Note 13: Cash flow information

2018$

2017$

(a) Reconciliation of cash

Cash at the end of the financial year as shown in the cash flow statement is reconciled to the related items in the balance sheet as follows:

Cash on hand 300 300

Cash at bank 1,358,378 802,792

At call deposits with financial institutions 2,371,029 2,459,025

3,729,707 3,262,117

(b) Reconciliation of cash flow from operations with Profit after income tax

Surplus before income tax expense 128,422 208,769

Noncash flows in profit:

Depreciation 5,832 8,105

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Decrease/(increase) in receivables 148,201 (406,182)

Decrease in other current assets 403 20,211

Increase/(decrease) in payables 125,425 (204,841)

Increase/(decrease) in accruals and provisions 13,146 14,861

Increase/ (decrease) in deferred income 54,411 473,057

Cash flows from operations 475,840 113,980

Note 14: Financial instruments(a) Risk Management

The Company is exposed to the following risks from their use of financial instruments:

- Market Risk- Credit Risk- Liquidity Risk

The Directors of the Company have overall responsibility for risk management. The Directors have established risk management policies designed to identify and monitor risks from financial instruments and ensure any adverse effects from these risks are minimised. The

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Directors meet on a regular basis to review compliance with risk management policy and to analyse financial risk exposure in the context of the current economic environment.

(b) Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that a financial instrument's value will fluctuate as a result of changes in market interest rates. Interest rate risk arises on balances of cash and cash equivalents. The entity minimises this risk by using a term deposit facility. The Company is exposed to interest rate risk and the effective weighted average interest rates on classes of financial assets and financial liabilities, is as follows:

Weighted Average Fixed Interest Rate MaturingEffective Interest Rate Floating Interest Rate Within 1 Year 1 to 5 Years

2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017Financial Assets: % % $ $ $ $ $ $

Cash 2.52 2.55 1,358,378 802,792 2,371,029 2,459,025 - -Total Financial Assets 1,358,378 802,792 2,371,029 2,459,025 - -

(c) Credit Risk

Credit is the risk that one party to a financial instrument will cause a financial loss for the other party by failing to discharge an obligation.

Credit risk arises on trade and other receivables. The objective of the entity is to minimise exposure to credit risk. The maximum exposure to credit risk, excluding the value of any collateral or other security, at balance date to recognised financial assets is the carrying amount of those assets, net of any provisions for doubtful debts, as disclosed in the statement of financial position and notes the financial statements.

The Company does not have any material credit risk exposure to any single debtor or group of debtors under financial instruments entered into by the Company.

(d) Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk is the risk that an entity will encounter difficulty in meeting obligations associated with financial liabilities. The Company is largely dependent on government funding for grants to continue its operations during the year. It has always been the Company’s priority to maintain a good relationship with all government departments and ensure all contractual obligations have been met each year.

Remaining contractual maturities

The following tables detail the Company’s remaining contractual maturity for its financial instrument liabilities. The tables have been drawn up based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities based on the earliest date on which the financial liabilities are required to be paid.

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Trade and other payables are expected to be paid as follows:

30 June 2018

30 June 2017

$ $

Less than 6 months 1,045,127 875,266

6 months to 1 year (50% of annual leave & deferred income not expensed) 659,206 615,280

Total 1,704,333 1,490,546

(a) Net Fair ValuesThe net fair values of listed investments have been valued at the quoted market bid price at balance date adjusted for transaction costs expected to be incurred. For other assets and other liabilities the net fair value approximates their carrying value. Financial assets where the carrying amount exceeds net fair values have not been written down as the Company intends to hold these assets to maturity.

The aggregate net fair values and carrying amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities are disclosed in the statement of financial position and in the notes to the financial statements.

(b) Sensitivity AnalysisThe Company has performed a sensitivity analysis relating to its exposure to interest rate risk at balance date. This sensitivity analysis demonstrates the effect on the current year results and accumulated funds which could result from a change in this risk.

Interest Rate Sensitivity Analysis:

At 30 June 2018, the effect on profit and equity as a result of changes in the interest rate, with all other variables remaining constant, would be as follows:

Year Ended 30 June 2018

Year Ended 30 June 2017

$ $

Change in profit attributable to members

Increase in interest rate by 1% 26,710 21,100

Decrease in interest rate by 1% (26,710) (21,100)

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Note 15: Key management personnel disclosuresCompensation

The aggregate compensation made to the members of key management personnel of the Company is set out below:

Short-term employee benefits 573,241 553,613

Long-term benefits 37,999 10,403

Post-employment benefits 60,190 58,129

671,430 622,145

Note 16: Remuneration of auditorsDuring the financial year the following fees were paid or payable for services provided by BDO Audit Pty Ltd:

Audit of the financial statements 32,000 31,000

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Note 17: Capital risk managementThe entity’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard their ability to continue as a going concern, so that they can continue to provide benefits for stakeholders and maintain an optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of capital.

In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the entity may sell assets to reduce its debts.

Consistent with others in the industry, the entity monitors capital on the basis of the net gearing ratio. Net debt is calculated as total borrowings less cash and cash equivalents.

Note 18: Economic dependenceThe Company is dependent on receiving government grants for the majority of its revenue used to operate the business. At the date of this report the directors have no reason to believe the Company will not continue to receive grants from the government.

Note 19: Events subsequent to balance dateThere are no events subsequent to 30 June 2018.

Director’s declarationIn the directors' opinion:

- The attached financial statements comprising the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, statement of financial position, statement of changes in equity and statement of cashflows and accompany notes, are in accordance with the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission Act 2012;

- Comply with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board as described in note 1 to the financial statements and Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission Regulation 2013 (ACNC Regulation 2013);

- The attached financial statements and notes thereto give a true and fair view of the company's financial position as at 30 June 2018 and of its performance for the financial year ended on that date; and

- There are reasonable grounds to believe that the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable.

Signed in accordance with a resolution of directors made pursuant to subsection 60.15(2) of the ACNC Regulation 2013.

On behalf of the directors

________________________________

Kate Tully

Chair

27 September 2018Page 65 / October 2018

Brisbane

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