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Wednesday, February 20

Inquiry to shine light on SA’s ‘inexcusable’ poverty rate

South Australian welfare groups have called on the State Government to address what they say are inexcusable and entrenched realities facing low-income earners, as a Parliamentary inquiry gets underway to uncover the extent of poverty in the state.

SA welfare groups urge caution over ‘unfair’ energy guarantee

The South Australian Council of Social Service and Uniting Communities have urged the State Government to consider what they describe as “critical” changes to the National Energy Guarantee to protect the interests of South Australians on low incomes.

Photo: Nat Rogers

Warning on ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ of child protection spending

South Australia’s annual spending on out-of-home care services could soon hit $1 billion unless the State Government rethinks its child protection model, welfare groups have warned.

Major city development ditches suspect cladding after safety fears

A major development currently under construction near Adelaide’s city centre has scrapped plans to use polyethylene cladding on the building’s façade in the wake of London’s deadly Grenfell Tower blaze.

Weatherill's Fresh Start could lead to child protection system's "collapse"

Welfare insiders have sounded an ominous warning about the cost of implementing the Weatherill Government’s child protection reforms, amid fears the “system will collapse” under the strain of ever-increasing numbers of children in care, at double the cost per child.

Child protection reform "half-hearted" without mandatory reporting overhaul

The head of one of the state’s foremost welfare agencies has warned a major child protection overhaul will be “set up to fail” without fundamental systemic reform – including renewed consideration of scrapping the existing mandatory reporting framework.

Nyland Royal Commission a "missed opportunity": welfare chief

The Nyland Royal Commission into the state’s broken child protection system has been deemed a missed opportunity by the head of one of SA’s foremost welfare agencies, who says its findings “missed the mark”.