Acknowledgements omitted
The not-for-profit sector is immensely valuable. It advocates for communities. It serves people in need. It stays the course with people who need assistance - whether they are escaping violence, getting food aid, or helping someone navigate the social security system.
It's a privilege to stand alongside you all.
I have always liked the Frederic Ozanam quote about the Good Samaritan.
"Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveller who has been attacked. It is justice's role to prevent the attack."
You are the ones who stop. Who see. Who act in the face of suffering.
You offer support without judgement. You offer care without condition. You offer hope without hesitation.
But it is structural change that is needed to prevent injustice in the first place, and as a government, we are responsible for changing laws and systems to deliver social justice - and we welcome your advice in helping us do so.
The community sector has changed so much in the past century. What was once largely volunteer-driven is now a highly skilled, professional workforce that is better recognised, better paid, and making substantial contributions to the national economy.
As a government, we are proud to support the professionalisation of the sector. That includes recognising the importance of lived experience - not just because it leads to better outcomes for clients, but because it reflects the reality of the workforce itself.
This is a sector overwhelmingly made up of women. So, when we talk about professionalism, we're also talking about fairness. We're talking about closing the gender pay gap. And we're backing that commitment with real action.
We've supported the sector through the 2013 Social and Community Services Award and the Equal Remuneration Order. We've introduced paid placements for social work students. We've delivered a $4 billion uplift through changed indexation. And we've funded wage increases of 15 per cent for early childhood educators and aged care workers.
And now, we are watching SCHADS very carefully. And we've said very clearly that the real wages of low-paid workers should not go backwards.
We're seeing stronger service quality, more robust accountability, and better data collection. And most importantly, we're seeing better outcomes for communities.
This professionalism has fundamentally improved the outcomes we're able to deliver.
We're seeing and measuring social impact - whether its helping people find stable and secure housing, supporting mental health recovery, creating pathways to employment, or delivering culturally safe services for First Nations communities.
You have campaigned hard and consequently achieved a lot. You fought for things like higher pensions, increased Commonwealth Rent Assistance, more funding for emergency relief, and the Leaving Violence Payment. You helped us shape the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, and the National Housing and Homelessness Plan.
Since coming to government in 2022, we've increased the age and disability pensions by almost $5,000 a year.
Commonwealth Rent Assistance is up by almost 50 per cent - the largest increase in more than 30 years.
We've boosted emergency relief funding by 25 per cent to help frontline organisations meet growing demand.
We've introduced the Leaving Violence Payment - up to $5,000 in financial support for women escaping violent relationships, along with wraparound services to help them rebuild their lives.
And you have also changed the way we work with you. You gave us a Blueprint, and we are working through a whole range of recommendations and delivering on them.
Some examples within my Department include funding national peak bodies to support policy research and advocacy; embedding co-governance and co-design through initiatives like the Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package, the Whole-of-Government Partnership Framework, and the Community Sector Grants Engagement Framework.
We're investing in volunteering, with $7.5 million going to state and territory peaks to build capacity, and support for the Volunteering Gateway to connect people with volunteering opportunities.
And we're coordinating efforts across the sector to encourage collaboration and not competition.
We're also changing the way we manage our relationships and processes with the sector - because we know that systems should enable you, not exhaust you.
My goal is to make it easier for you to do what you do best: focus on prevention, not just crisis response.
That means streamlining funding where possible, improving communication, and making sure you have the tools and flexibility you need to support people and communities before problems escalate.
We've already begun reforming our grants processes to support longer-term, more stable funding.
In programs like the recent Financial Wellbeing and Capability grants, we've moved to five-year contracts - giving organisations the certainty they've long asked for.
We're also looking closely at how we can streamline reporting requirements, so you spend less time on paperwork and more time delivering services.
I hope these early changes mean less time chasing short-term contracts, and more time focused on supporting communities in meaningful ways.
It's important to reflect on these achievements and take pride in the fact you have achieved many things you set out to do. When you stop and smell the roses it gives you the strength to keep going.
Because the work isn't finished. And there is still plenty on that list.
We still have a long way to go to deliver everything we want for your clients, and to deliver social justice.
Celebrating the wins doesn't make us complacent, it gives us strength for the next battle.
Just as I acknowledge we have moved beyond good intentions in your sector, I am the first to say we need to have more than good intentions as a government.
How can we do better?
We as a government need to continue to evolve.
We need to invest better- not just in services, but in the people, systems, and infrastructure that underpin them.
That means aligning funding with the real cost of delivery and focusing on support that strengthens capability as well as capacity.
It means recognising that prevention is more cost-effective than crisis response, and that early intervention saves lives, not just dollars.
We also need to pursue strategic reform - reform that's grounded in evidence, shaped by living experience, and informed by what works on the ground.
The not-for-profit sector has always been a source of innovation, and government must be willing to learn from you.
We need to scale up proven models, remove barriers to collaboration, and be brave enough to change what isn't working.
That includes looking at how we fund, how we measure success, and how we partner with communities.
We must focus relentlessly on delivery and outcomes.
That means moving beyond outputs and activity counts, and instead asking: are we making a real difference in people's lives?
Are we reducing disadvantage, improving wellbeing, and creating opportunities?
To do that, we need better data, clear accountability, and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.
But we also need to trust you - to give you the flexibility to respond to local needs, and the autonomy to innovate.
And above all, we need to lead with a clear, ambitious agenda for the future.
One that's shaped by the voices of the sector, driven by the needs of communities, and grounded in the values of fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
We need to be bold - not just in responding to today's challenges, but in imagining what a more just, inclusive and compassionate Australia could look like.
Next steps
Our next great opportunity to deliver better outcomes is by reforming the Families and Communities Activity. Or what a lot of you fondly know as FaC.
And I'm very pleased to share with you today that after years of advocacy from the sector, we will reform this program.
We spend around $430 million every year across 18 programs that focus on prevention and early intervention. These programs are all about helping children and young people thrive, supporting families and communities to stay strong, and making sure vulnerable Australians can take part in community life.
And yet more Australian families are doing it tough. We're seeing rising rates of developmental vulnerability in children. Too many children are entering out-of-home care.
We're also seeing worrying signs in our efforts to Close the Gap - especially when it comes to Target 12, which focuses on keeping children safe and connected to family, culture and community.
And we know there's a link between kids who come into contact with the youth justice system and those who've been involved with child protection.
These are complex challenges; they're urgent - and they demand a better, more coordinated response.
So, here's what we're going to do.
We'll consult with the sector to introduce a single national program to replace five child and family programs. These include:
- Children and Parenting Support;
- Communities for Children - Facilitating Partners;
- Family Mental Health Support Services;
- Family and Relationship Services; and
- Specialised Family Violence Services.
250 providers deliver grants under these 5 programs.
We will extend these providers' current grants to 31 January 2027.
The new program, which will begin in 2027, will focus on two key outcomes.
First, we want to ensure parents and caregivers are empowered to raise healthy and resilient kids who have positive and safe relationships with others.
And second, we want to make sure children are supported to thrive and develop into healthy adults.
We'll deliver this program through three streams.
The first stream will support national programs and information services - making sure families have access to trusted advice and resources, no matter where they live.
The second stream will focus on prevention and early intervention - helping families before challenges become crises.
And the third stream will be for providers of intensive family supports - for those who need more targeted, wraparound help.
We will also use this as an opportunity to do things differently, and better.
That means trialling relational contracting; moving to longer five-year contracts; and streamlining reporting requirements so you spend less time on paperwork and more time supporting families and children.
We'll also invest in more Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, especially in areas with high First Nations populations, because culturally safe, community-led services deliver better outcomes.
I will begin consultation in the coming weeks on the details of this program redesign, and I encourage every one of you to get involved.
Join the online forums, send in your feedback and concerns.
We'll be in touch with all providers to let you know how to get involved and with more details of the reform.
If you're not involved currently in this program delivery, it's still an opportunity for you to have a say.
Many of you have been involved in the Blueprint development, you have views on how government can work better with not-for-profit organisations.
This is an opportunity to have your say, about what relational contracting should look like, what longer term contracting should look like.
How we balance the need for integrity in our systems, with a bit of common sense and understanding of what is happening for your organisations on the ground.
You've made the case clearly and consistently, and we've listened. Because we want to get this right.
This is your win, and together, we're going to make sure this reform delivers the support families and communities truly deserve.
Closing
I want to end with a quote that's always stayed with me - from Dom Hélder Câmara, who said:
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
It's another reminder that compassion is not just about charity - it's about justice.
It's about asking hard questions, challenging systems, and standing up for people who are too often left behind.
You work in this sector because you care profoundly for people.
It's the reason I am so pleased to have this portfolio. I do too.
I'm sure we can do great things together - to relieve suffering today, and to set Australia on a path to a stronger, fairer future.
A future where every child has the chance to thrive, every family is supported, and every community is valued.
Thank you for everything you do. Let's keep going, together.
