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Some positive signs in the budget, but more needs to be done to address inequity in Western Sydney  

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Since the budget announcement on Tuesday night, I have been reflecting on what all this means for the community and human services industry, and more importantly for the people of Western Sydney that we support. On budget night, I saw a shift in the national narrative with the Government’s approach to people experiencing vulnerabilities. I saw a shift in how income support and rental assistance was viewed, that it is a security safety net for times when people are in need and at times of crisis.

Economies thrive when communities do – Equity and the NSW State Budget 2020-21

Economies thrive when communities do equity and the NSW State Budget 2020-21

As I tuned into the NSW Government’s Budget 2020-21 announcement on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but hold a level of anticipation. Amid recent announcements that Australia is facing a recession, I needed to know as I scanned the influx of media announcements – was Western Sydney going to be a ‘winner’ in this year’s budget?

Construction and cranes only get us so far – Equity and the State Budget

Equity and the state budget

The NSW Government released its much-anticipated Budget this week. I was excited. We had the recent signing of the Western Sydney City Deal. We saw a strong public discourse of governing ‘with heart’.  And we have an election(s) looming. I was excited and keen to hear how this would all play out in reality, to get to the heart of priorities across Western Sydney and beyond, in NSW.
What I found is that this Budget, in the main, begins to address some of the infrastructure priorities of the region but has some considerable way to go before it gets close to being a Budget that will foster, sustain and improve community wellbeing and liveability.

Communities of Change Report Launch Snapshots the Future of Western Sydney

Communities Of Change Report Launch Banner

Joint Media Release St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and Western Sydney Community Forum

Parramatta, 23 May 2018:  The release of a major report on the changing landscape of Western Sydney reveals important insights which could impact future planning and investment in community health and wellbeing.

The ‘Communities of Change: Western Sydney Now and Into the Future’ report, a collaboration between Western Sydney Community Forum and St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, highlights areas of potential shortfalls in investment and service delivery.

2017 – 2018 Federal Budget: Impacts on Communities and Services

A hand sketching out on a paper printed bar chart

The 2017 – 2018 Federal Budget is certainly a mixed bag with early analyses of the budget’s impact on local communities indicating that there are likely to be benefits in some regards while damaging effects in other areas. The good news for Western Sydney is the level of investment in infrastructure, primarily as a result […]

2015 Federal Budget: An Initial Look at What’s in Store for Community Care

With the 2015 federal budget officially announced today, Minister of Social Services Scott Morrison and Assistant Minister Mitch Fifield issued media releases that give us a more or less clearer glimpse of government’s additional (broad) plans for the future. The two separate media releases outline the breakdown of budget and plans for three key community […]

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