NOVEMBER 2022
Welcome to the latest Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) policy and research news. Our Executive Director, Travers McLeod, speaks about the national economic and social outlook, and our next webinar will discuss urgent steps to reduce the impact of rising energy prices on low-income households.
Also in this issue are recorded webinars on vocational education and training for a green economy and on tackling child poverty, plus a new applied research project and information about the services and resources of BSL's library.
And we are looking forward to this year’s Sambell Oration on the Voice to Parliament, which we invite you to join through livestreaming.
You can read more about our current work at www.bsl.org.au/research and browse our policy submissions.
Please share this Spotlight with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe.
SAMBELL ORATION 2022
How a Voice to Parliament can positively impact the lives of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Aunty Pat Anderson AO and Professor Megan Davis
Monday 5 December 2022, 6 pm to 7.30 pm
COMMENT: AUSTRALA'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OUTLOOK
Research and program experience at BSL show us that reforming the employment services system and shaping a social security system that addresses poverty should be two national priorities.
Read Travers McLeod's remarks at the Economic and Social Outlook Conference
WEBINAR: POWER PAIN – OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE ENERGY STRESS
13 December 2022, 12 noon to 1 pm
The past year has seen record wholesale energy prices across Australia. Without action, these prices will further impact households in coming months. People facing disadvantage, who spend the highest proportion of their incomes on energy and often live in inefficient homes, are likely to be hit hardest.
Our webinar will consider options to address the looming energy affordability crisis, and the implications for all energy consumers, particularly those facing energy stress.
Panellists
Lynne Gallagher, CEO of Energy Consumers Australia
Dr Sangeetha Chandrashekeran, Senior Research Fellow at the Life Course Centre
Damian Sullivan, Principal Climate Change and Energy, Brotherhood of St. Laurence
Also read the opinion piece by Travers McLeod in The Australian, Vulnerable need immediate relief from energy stress
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Catch up on our research report Power pain: an investigation of energy stress in Australia
WEBINAR RECORDING: ENABLING THE GREEN TRANSITION
The role of vocational education in building capability to mitigate and adapt to climate change was the focus of an OctoberVET webinar on the green transition. Hosted by BSL’s David Longley, it also featured Tomi Winfree, AnthroEnviro Consulting, and Sharon Ede, Green Industries SA.
Watch the Green Transition webinar
WEBINAR RECORDING: TACKLING CHILD POVERTY
During Anti-Poverty Week, BSL’s Dr Dina Bowman led a panel including Professor Miranda Stewart, National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds and Sarah, an expert by experience, who explored the current Family Tax Benefits system and how successive changes have undermined its effectiveness, leaving children at risk.
Watch the webinar Tackling child poverty through policies and payments
APPLIED RESEARCH: FOUNDATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL CAREERS
A new project, AgFutures, will test a place-based approach to rural workforce shortages, youth unemployment and limited agricultural training, across south-western Victoria. This applied research initiative involves partners from education, industry and community (including BSL) and is funded by the Victorian Government.
Read about AgFutures and the Minister’s announcement
WORKSHOP: RETHINKING WELFARE AND CONDITIONALITY
Monday 28 November 2022, 9 am to 4.30 pm, at the University of Melbourne
This in-person workshop will consider the future of social security in Australia, and the impact of recent changes such as the introduction of Workforce Australia and points-based activation on single parents and their children, unemployed workers and others.
Organised by the Social Security Research Policy and Practice Network, four interactive sessions will explore:
- the nexus between work, welfare and care
- stigma in welfare policy and practice
- ongoing employment services reforms
- impacts of conditionality in social security.
Registration is free but essential.
INFORMATION: DID YOU KNOW ABOUT BSL'S SOCIAL POLICY LIBRARY?
The BSL Library provides an excellent social research and policy resource for the community sector, researchers, students and general public.
The Library has a physical space in Fitzroy, and a virtual space where collections can be searched online. Its services and resources include:
- the Library catalogue including e-resources produced by BSL’s Social Policy and Research Centre, BSL Annual Reports and non-BSL authored works
- a browsable print collection, open to the public by appointment
- BSL Timeline: a history of the Brotherhood of St. Laurence’s fight against poverty in Fitzroy, inner-city Melbourne and beyond since the 1930s
- BSL Archive: an extensive collection of records including primary sources spanning almost 100 years, available by request at library@bsl.org.au
Contact the Library team at library@bsl.org.au
BSL Social Policy Library team
Our Library team has some new faces! Rosa Serratore has joined as Senior Librarian. She has a Master of Business IT (Information Management) from RMIT. Rosa has worked in the government specials and public library sectors for 25 years. She was the Collections Manager at Yarra Plenty Regional Library, Chief Librarian at the Bureau of Meteorology and Library Manager at ARRB.
Jonathan Khey has recently been appointed as our Librarian. He has a Grad. Dip. Information and Library Studies from Curtin University. Jonathan volunteered with Brotherhood Books for a number of years before joining the Library team.
Nadine Huser is our Library Technician. She studied at Box Hill Institute and has her Advanced Diploma in Library and Information services. After volunteering with the Library for several years, Nadine started in an ongoing position in 2019.
Keep up to date with BSL's work by subscribing to our free e-newsletters.
Support our research and programs to make change that lasts.
BSL Social Policy and Research Centre
67 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Vic. 3065 Australia
Phone: (03) 9483 1183
Email: research@bsl.org.au
Web: www.bsl.org.au/research
© Brotherhood of St. Laurence 2022
ABN 24 603 467 024 ARBN 100 042 822
The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is a social justice organisation that works to prevent and alleviate poverty across Australia. You are receiving this email as you have previously subscribed to the BSL Research and Policy Centre e-newsletter. To unsubscribe, please click on the link below.