Policy submissions

Here you’ll find a wide selection of policy papers and submissions we’ve published. Each paper draws on our experience working with disadvantaged youth, families and communities.

Submission to the Victorian Climate Change strategy
- 28 April 2025
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to help shape the development of the Victorian government’s second Climate Change Strategy. Climate change demands urgent, ambitious, and sustained action to protect Victorian communities and build long-term resilience. Climate risks are not borne equally, with the most severe impacts falling on those already experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation. These…
Northern Territory Election Platform
- 19 July 2024
Our vision for the NT - ‘a fairer, more equal and sustainable future for all Territorians’. We believe Government should be partnering with community to achieve these priorities to help ensure a fairer, more equal and sustainable future for all Territorians. For a long time, a range of systems have worked against people facing generational…
National Adaptation Issues Paper
- 15 April 2024
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Climate Adaptation Plan in Australia – National Adaptation Plan Issues Paper, led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. We strongly support the need to establish a long-term Climate Adaptation Plan to support all Australians, particularly our most affected communities in…
Submission to the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2023
- 11 December 2023
Jesuit Social Services welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2023. This is an important amendment, which would require decision-makers to more explicitly consider the impact on future generations of any new legislation that has the potential to affect action on climate change. We…
Submission in response to the Department of Social Services’ Issues Paper – A stronger, more diverse and independent community sector
- 22 November 2023
Jesuit Social Services was pleased to contribute a submission in response to the Department of Social Services’ Issues Paper on the Federal Government’s election commitment for “a stronger, more diverse and independent community sector”. Our submission argues reform is needed to change the way Government works with and funds community services organisations.
Collaborative Action Plan for climate justice in Melbourne's west
- 15 November 2022
This Collaborative Action Plan is the result of a year-long project to articulate a shared vision for climate justice in Melbourne’s west.
Community sector organisations call on incoming government to resource sector climate adaptation
- 20 October 2022
Climate change is exacerbating existing social and health inequities and disproportionately impacting people experiencing marginalisation and disadvantage. Community service and health organisations play a critical role in building resilience, but without the resources to plan and adapt the sector itself is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, posing a risk of flow-on-effects for…
Submission to inform Victoria’s emissions reduction target for 2035
- 24 June 2022
Jesuit Social Services welcomed the opportunity to contribute to consultation on Victoria’s emissions reduction target for 2035. We note the importance of this consultation given that climate change is having unprecedented impacts on people and nature across every region of the globe, including Victoria. In this submission, Jesuit Social Services urges the Victorian Government to…
Federal Election 2022 platform – A blueprint for a just recovery
- 21 April 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many pre-existing social and economic issues in Australia to the fore, from housing stress, to poverty, family violence, and insecure employment. As an organisation working with some of the most disadvantaged members of the community, we have witnessed firsthand the disproportionate impact of this crisis on already marginalised people and…
Dropping off the Edge – VicHealth report
- 4 April 2022
Dropping off the Edge 2021 was released in November 2021 and provides a comprehensive analysis of persistent and entrenched disadvantage across Australia, including a state-by-state analysis using 37 indicators as well as supporting qualitative research. This report, commissioned by VicHealth, presents Victoria-specific findings from Dropping off the Edge 2021 and has an added focus on…

Policy submissions

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