Budget plan fights for battlers

VICTORIA’S social services peak body has sent a 54-point budget submission to the government to fight inequality in the state.

The Victorian Council of Social Service’s (VCOSS) Building a Better Victoria plan includes recommendations to waive fees for some VET qualifications, deliver 30,000 new social housing properties, close all juvenile prisons and increase support for those struggling to pay energy bills.

Geelong jobseekers looking to retrain to find work would benefit from the recommendation to waive fees for community services VET training programs, offered by selected training providers.

“Given the high demand for community service workers, the relatively low pay of entrylevel social sector jobs, and the potential of the sector to grow the Victorian economy, there is a strong case for waiving fees for community services training programs offered by selected high quality training providers,” the report noted.

VCOSS chief executive Emma King said more than 700,000 Victorians were living below the poverty line.

“Every person in Victoria should be supported to live a good life,” Ms King said.

“In practical terms, that means everybody should be supported to live with dignity and meaning.

“This includes getting a great education, staying healthy, living free from violence and abuse, having a roof over your head and receiving a decent income.

“We can’t give up on the dream of a Victoria genuinely free from poverty and disadvantage. We must constantly explore new ways to combat inequality, and support the frontline workers and volunteers who assist those in our community who are facing vulnerability or hardship.”

A copy of Building a Better Victoria will be sent to every Victorian MP and department chief.

“This provides politicians and policymakers with a blueprint for how to make the state fairer, safer and more just,” Ms King said.