Resources for community members 

Emergency assistance and payments  

Centrelink and Disasters – Tips and Common Issues (Social Security Rights Victoria): Information on disaster and crisis payments, Centrelink, and mutual obligations. Includes contact information for SSRV. 

Emergency relief support (Australian Red Cross): Information on emergency relief payments for people on temporary visas, including how to apply.  

Emergency assistance and accommodation (Disaster Legal Help Victoria): Information on emergency relief payments, financial counselling services, and short-term emergency accommodation. Includes contact details for Safe Steps (family violence support) and Department of Fairness, Families and Housing. 

Replacing lost documents (Financial Counselling Victoria): How to replace lost or damaged identification documents (passports, citizenship certificates, driver’s licences, certificates from Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, damaged banknotes).  

Insurance 

Steps to take after a disaster to stay safe and start your insurance claim (Vic Gov): This webpage contains information about starting an insurance claim after a home has been flooded, but is also applicable to bushfire. 

Practical information on what to do during and after a disaster (Insurance Council of Australia): A series of articles from the Insurance Council of Australia about insurance before and after a disaster. 

Insurance law (Financial Rights Legal Centre): fact sheets to help answer insurance questions and concerns. 

Legal assistance  

Do you need legal help after a disaster? (DLHV): Web link, QR code, and phone number for Disaster Legal Help Victoria.  

Disaster Legal Help (Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service): Contacts for assistance from VALS for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians. Includes a checklist of areas one may require assistance with (e.g., housing, debt, employment, insurance, etc).  

Disaster support for renters (Tenants Victoria): Guidance around rights and responsibilities, and seeking legal support, for renters after a disaster. 

Legal Health Check (Disaster Legal Help Victoria): Assists with the identification of legal needs and issues., with a corresponding resource for each legal area (e.g., safety, court, housing, insurance, employment, money, children, crime, legal documents).  

Email disasterlegalhelp@vla.vic.gov.au for further assistance.  

Recovery and psychosocial support 

Coping after a crisis (Australian Red Cross): What you or others might experience after a crisis, and how to manage it. Includes information about returning home after a crisis, cleaning up, maintaining wellbeing and staying healthy.  

Dr Rob’s six tips for disaster recovery (NZ Red Cross): Dr Rob Gordon is a psychologist and disaster recovery expert. In this video he provides six tips to assist people in the immediate aftermath and months following a disaster. This video was recorded after the 2013 NZ earthquakes, but is applicable to all disasters.  

Young People and Disasters Resource Hub (Youth Affairs Council Victoria): Bushfire resources for Victorians with disability, and resources for disaster preparation.

Blktrx service directory (VACCHO): Find culturally safe and responsive mental health, social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) and suicide prevention services to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families, communities and workforce across Victoria

For other support, please visit a recovery hub, call the numbers available on Vic Emergency’s website, or call the recovery line. 

Emergency preparedness 

Protect what matters most (Australian Red Cross): A disaster preparedness guide to help prepare an emergency plan.  

Resources to help you (Australian Red Cross): A range of resources around how to help after a disaster, preparing for disasters, multilingual preparedness resources, responding to disasters, and recovering from disasters. 

Health

Virtual women’s health clinic Free, specialist reproductive and sexual health care.

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department Ambulance Victoria: The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department allows you to access care for non-life threatening emergencies, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be connected to doctors and nurses via a video call and receive medical advice from the comfort of your home.

Family Violence

During the recovery phase family violence increases and services are harder to access.  Family violence can happen to anyone.

Dial Triple Zero 000 if you are in immediate danger.

1800 Respect

• For people experiencing or at risk of experiencing sexual assault, domestic or family violence.

Call 1800 737 732 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Child Protection

For children and young people whose safety is at risk – after hours Child Protection Emergency Service.

Call 13 12 78 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am Monday to Friday (24 hours on weekends and public holidays).

Child protection contacts

• Men’s Referral Service

The Men’s Referral Service is the national counselling, information and referral service for men who use violence and abuse to change their behaviour. They can have a conversation with you, help you with some short-term tactics and put you in touch with some supports that can help you along the journey.

Call 1300 766 491 available 24/7.

Men’s Referral Service

• Orange Door

The Orange Door provides help for adults, children and young people who are experiencing family violence.

Orange Door

• Safe Steps

For women and children who are victims of family violence.

Call 1800 015 188 crisis phone line 24/7.

Safe Steps

• Sexual Assault Crisis Line

For victims of sexual assault.

Call 1800 806 292 after hours from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am (including weekend and public holidays).

Sexual Assault Crisis Line

Resources for community service organisations  

Emergency management information for service providers from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).  DFFH’s website includes several key resources for community organisations:

o   Social services sector emergency management policy;

o   A guide to emergency psychosocial supports;

o   Victorian Emergency Management Planning Toolkit for People Most at Risk; and

o   Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Toolkit.

Total fire bans and fire danger ratings (CFA): Includes current ratings and status of fire bans.  

Relief and recovery 

Disaster Legal Toolkit (Justice Connect Not-For-Profit Law): Guidance to help your not-for-profit organisation navigate disaster-related legal questions and issues. 

Youth-Focused Disaster Recovery Protocol (Youth Affairs Council Victoria): This protocol has been developed for all levels of government and community services who engage with young people in disaster affected areas. It provides guidance on key matters for inclusion in post-disaster recovery and rebuilding to ensure positive outcomes for young people. 

Bushfire safety and preparedness 

Fire Safety for the Care Sector (CFA): Resources, links, and information community service organisations can use to enhance bushfire safety for clients.  

Bushfire Preparedness (CFA): Slides, including info and links, on how to prepare for bushfire safety as a community service organisation. 

Victorian emergency preparedness briefing for community and not-for-profit organisations (Emergency Management Vic): Slides, including info and links, on emergency management arrangements in Victoria, risks and priorities for the 2025-26 high risk season, relief and recovery.  

Find your fire weather district (CFA): Map and search function for the nine Fire Weather Districts based on council boundaries. 

Preparedness for the 2025-26 high risk weather season (VCOSS Disaster Resilience Network): Meeting recording, minutes and slides from the November 2025 meeting.  

Victoria’s State Emergency Management Plan (Emergency Management Vic): Provides the details of emergency management arrangements at a state level. 

Young People and Disasters Resource Hub (Youth Affairs Council Victoria): A range of resources to enable organisations to empower young people in bushfire recovery, including a guide to meaningful youth engagement, use of trauma informed language, and more. 

Community Recovery Toolbox

East Gippsland Shire Council’s Community Recovery Toolbox provides useful information to support communities across East Gippsland. It will help local groups establish and build recovery processes before and after an emergency.

Reflections and Lessons Learned by the Community Recovery Committees (CRCs) of the 2019-20 East Gippsland Bushfires.

The Reflections and Lessons Learned by the CRCs report captures the experiences of the CRCs from the 2019-2020 black summer bushfires and what they thought worked well, opportunities for improvement, and what to pass on to help communities in future events.

‍Reflections and Lessons Learned – Executive Summary

Reflections and Lessons Learned – Report

Reflections and Lessons Learned – video

Inquiry into the 2026 summer fires across Victoria

The Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee has announced a Parliamentary Inquiry into the 2026 summer fires across Victoria. The deadline for submissions is 19 April 2026.

It is crucial to have as many community voices and community organisations putting in submissions as possible. This will ensure community voices, leadership, and recovery priorities are front and centre in this Inquiry.

VCOSS has prepared a submission guide for community organisations. Please consider putting in a submission, and reach out to VCOSS’ Disaster Resilience Policy Advisor, Lucy Manne, if you have any questions or would like support in relation to this Inquiry: lucy.manne@vcoss.org.au

Tough times are exactly when we must invest in what matters most.

When things are hard, it’s tempting to tighten our belts and batten down the hatches.

But that’s not how you build a strong, safe, thriving Victoria.

Every Budget tells a story about the state of our State — what we value, what we fear, and what we’re willing to walk past.

Right now, Victoria’s story sits against a backdrop of growing economic inequity and social fragmentation – fuelled by the realities of rising cost of living, the housing crisis, community safety concerns, reverberations of international conflicts and intensifying climate impacts. Our social and economic fabric is under real strain.    

Meanwhile, the public purse is under pressure. There’s lots of talk about debt, budget repair, fiscal austerity and ‘efficiencies’.

In this context, some might say that now is not the time to invest in tackling root causes of entrenched problems like housing insecurity, family violence, climate-related impacts, social cohesion or the sharp edge of poverty. Some might say that’s in the ‘too-hard basket.’

They’d be wrong.

Now is precisely the time for smart investments that prevent social and economic problems from escalating and compounding, or ideally from starting in the first place.

With the political will to prioritise what matters most, we can break vicious cycles of crisis-end spending, avoiding long-term costs through prevention and early intervention.

By investing in what will pay off in the long run, Victorians can have secure housing, good healthcare, and genuine safety and security in their families and communities.

And critical to this is Victoria’s community sector – the fastest growing industry in the State, whose workforce shows up every day for people doing it tough.

Community services are operating under immense pressure, with rising demand, a changing regulatory landscape and a highly feminised workforce carrying the emotional load of the state’s most difficult and complex social issues.

No austerity agenda can fix entrenched problems like housing insecurity, family violence, social cohesion or the sharp edge of poverty.

Our sector deserves respect, fair funding and industry development support to meet the challenges of our times and keep doing what Victorians rely on. 

If we want a stronger, safer, fairer Victoria, we must invest across the whole spectrum of support – from crisis response to long-term recovery – but especially in the early intervention and prevention efforts that stop harm before it takes root. And we must invest in a skilled, flourishing, future-focused community sector that delivers across that spectrum of support.

That is how we stabilise our communities.

That is how we strengthen our economy.

And that is how ensure the things that matter most are never pushed into the too-hard basket.

Juanita Pope
VCOSS CEO

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Watch ‘Adaption for All’ online launch

ANALYSIS

2024 was Australia’s second-hottest year on record. As climate change progresses, Victoria is experiencing not only hotter days and more frequent disasters, but significant impacts to people’s health, wellbeing and livelihoods.

These impacts are not felt by all Victorians equally – those who are already living in poverty or facing other forms of disadvantage experience the impacts of climate change first and worst. 

This report views the impacts of climate change to Victorians on low incomes through the lens of their capacity to adapt – to adjust to these impacts while maintaining their health and wellbeing. 

This report finds that as climate change progress, it’s fuelling a feedback loop that erodes the capacity of Victorians experiencing poverty and disadvantage to adapt. During heatwaves, for example, some Victorians remain isolated at home for days. Many are adopting drasticmoney-saving behaviours such as avoiding using any energy-consuming equipment at homeor rationing food. People are not choosing these actions because they’re desirable, but rather because they have very few options as the cost of living rises and making ends meet becomes more and more difficult.

This research also finds that the capacity of people experiencing poverty and disadvantage to adapt to climate change mirrors the same structural drivers that perpetuate inequality — such as income insecurity, housing precarity, and systemic marginalisation. As climate change progresses in Victoria, existing social and economic inequities are being compounded. 

If the people with the least capacity to adapt aren’t adequately supported as climate change progresses, the gap between the amount of adaptation needed and people’s capacity to do it will continue to grow. With this, we risk a widening chasm between those who can adapt and those who can’t.  Expecting Victorians on low incomes to support their own adaptation, without adequate support, will exacerbate existing inequalities. 

To close this gap, Victoria must prioritise transformative adaptation — adaptation that addresses systemic inequities and improves health and wellbeing for those on the lowest incomes. If individuals and communities with the least capacity to adapt are the focus of adaptation efforts, wellbeing outcomes can be improved, while growing inequity curbed.

Despite significant cost-of-living pressures, people experiencing poverty and disadvantage – where they are supported by community service organisations – are taking positive steps towards adaptation. Reducing the burden for adaptation on individuals by strengthening action within community organisations and the Victorian Government can help achieve transformative adaptation. 

We have the tools we need to support Victorians living in poverty or experiencing disadvantage to adapt to climate change. Victoria must prioritise transformative adaptation to ensure all Victorians can thrive under a changing climate. 

Recommendations

To work towards transformative adaptation, we recommend the Victorian Government to:

1. Continue to urgently invest in climate mitigation to reduce the scale of climate change impacts. This includes: 

a. Ensure access to electrification, energy efficiency upgrades and solar for people on low incomes — so no one is left behind in the energy transition.

b. Expand minimum energy efficiency standards in rental homes to protect renters from heat and other climate risks.

c. Align planning decisions with climate mitigation goals and more equitable social outcomes.

2. Target adaptation investment towards Victorians experiencing the most significant climate impacts

a. Identify the most climate-vulnerable communities and support them with community-led adaptation planning.

b. Invest in the equity-centred actions in Victoria’s Adaptation Action Plans.

c. Develop and implement an Aboriginal Climate Justice Strategy to respond to climate threats to Country, health and wellbeing.

d. Strengthen the resilience of Victoria’s housing stock through targeted upgrades and support for low-income households.

e. Expand minimum rental standards to include resilience measures that protect renters from a wider range of climate risks.

3. Increase funding for community service organisations (CSOs) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs)

a. Create a climate adaptation fund for CSOs and ACCOs.

4. Strengthen whole-of-government accountability on climate change and intergenerational equity

a. Create and fund an Office of the Commissioner for the Wellbeing of Future Generations to hold the whole of government accountable for decision-making that promotes the health and wellbeing of future generations.

b. Embed collaboration between Victorian Government departments to address climate change by legislating and strengthening the climate budgeting process.

c. Transparently report progress against Victoria’s Adaptation Action Plans.

These actions are essential for a fair and effective response to climate change—one that ensures no Victorian is left behind as we adapt to a changing climate.

VCOSS submission to Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy 2026-2030

VCOSS strongly supports the Victorian Government’s commitment to climate action including a clear pathway to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045 or sooner, building resilience and taking steps to adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

This action is urgent, as we are already seeing the devastating impacts of climate change on people’s health, wellbeing and livelihoods across Victoria. These impacts are exacerbating existing inequalities in our state as climate change disproportionately impacts people who are already experiencing poverty and disadvantage.  

Climate impacts hit these people first and worse because they experience economic barriers that mean they’re more exposed to climate change through their home, their geographic location, their health or their job.  

The Victorian Climate Change Strategy 2026-30 is an opportunity for the Victorian Government to address this growing inequality by taking transformational approach to climate action. This means investing in systemic changes that address the root causes of vulnerability to climate change, putting equity at the heart of the response. 

This means Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy must include:  

1. A continued focus on mitigation via renewables, electrification, planning and the circular economy 

2. Greater investment into adaptation and disaster resilience, targeted at Victorians who are experiencing the most significant climate impacts  

3. Increased support for community organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) that are already supporting people experiencing disadvantage to reduce emissions and adapt 

• Accountability across the whole of government for climate action and intergenerational equity  

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Joint Submission to the VDO Review 2025-26 Draft Decision

This is a joint submission made by the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS), Brotherhood of St. Laurence, Consumer Action Law Centre, Council on the Ageing Victoria, Energy Consumers Australia, Financial Counselling Victoria, and Uniting. This group brings a deep knowledge of people’s experiences navigating the Victorian electricity market and the impacts of energy hardship and poverty. Collectively, we work towards a Victoria free from all forms of hardship, where everybody can experience genuine wellbeing. 

The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) is a crucial safeguard for consumers who face structural barriers to engaging with the electricity retail market. We strongly support the VDO’s continuing role in the Victorian energy market, and the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) role in regularly reviewing and renewing the VDO. 

Consumer advocates are pleased to see that the ESC’s draft decision on the VDO for 2025-26 keeps electricity costs stable, on average. However, it does represent around 1 per cent average rise across the distribution zones during a cost-of-living crisis.  

While this is a better outcome for Victorian consumers when compared to other jurisdictions, where the Default Market Offer draft price increased between 2.5 per cent and 8.9 per cent, we do stress that consumers are still dealing with very high prices. Electricity prices have been increasing over time since the establishment of the VDO, and especially with the 2023-24 VDO which increased prices 25 per cent. We also note that while the average cost in the 2025-26 draft price is stable, in CitiPower’s distribution zone, consumers will face a rise of up to 5 per cent under the draft decision. 

On a positive note, we acknowledge that the ESC has adjusted the methodology for wholesale load profiles to exclude solar exports. We support this decision. This is in line with the VDO’s role as a consumption price, and the ESC’s remit to set an efficient cost stack. This decision helps contain rises to the VDO price. 

This submission is made at a time when high costs for essential services like electricity are causing severe financial hardship in Victorian communities. For many people supported by the community sector, incomes are simply not sufficient to cover expensive energy as well as the costs of other essentials, especially if they are living in poor quality housing that is difficult to heat and cool.  

The ongoing impact of high energy costs is that tens of thousands of Victorians are in energy debt. Social services report that community demand for assistance is at unprecedented highs. Meanwhile, large energy businesses make record profits. 

In this context, we encourage the ESC to consider the costs of pricing decisions holistically, and to centre the consumer in decisions, rather than businesses. This is especially important for vulnerable and low-income households, for whom costs and benefits are a required consideration for the ESC, under the Commission’s statutory obligations. 

We also urge the ESC to undertake deeper analysis of retail behaviours and seek more granular detail of operational costs and, where possible, make that information public. This would provide for greater scrutiny on retailer behaviour and help to address the information asymmetry experienced by consumer advocates representing Victorian households in processes such as the VDO review. 

Finally, we note that, although the VDO works as a crucial regulatory safeguard, it is ultimately a price calculated on the costs of an unfair and unaffordable market. As such, consumer advocates urge regulators and policymakers to investigate complementary measures above and beyond the VDO, such as a targeted social tariff, to deliver electricity to low-income households at a truly affordable rate. 

This submission includes case studies detailing the lived experience of electricity consumers who have been supported by community sector organisations. The names of individuals have been changed. 

ANALYSIS

The Victorian Council of Social Service welcomes the introduction of Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) legislation into state parliament.

The VEU program has a strong record in achieving energy savings and emissions reductions and embedding it in law will ensure it continues as part of Victoria’s energy framework.

The changes to the scheme create new opportunities for targeted assistance for lower-income and other households facing particular challenges due to energy prices and the upfront cost of updating appliances. Similarly, the introduction of stronger consumer protections and stronger Essential Services Commission powers are welcome reforms.

VCOSS CEO, Juanita Pope, said that households on lower incomes often stood to gain the most from upgrades but faced the highest barriers to change.

“VCOSS welcomes this move to embed the VEU in law and strengthen its operation. Victorians have benefitted from this scheme in terms of lower household costs and reduced energy consumption. Our state has benefitted through reduced carbon emissions and more efficient use of energy.”

“The VEU is a key tool in Victoria’s energy transition toolbox, delivering cost-of-living relief to Victorians while setting us up for a cheaper, healthier and cleaner energy future.”

“These changes lay the groundwork for targeted programs to break down the barriers for lower-income households to access upgrades. Added consumer protections and new regulatory powers will limit abuse of the system. Victorians need strong regulatory safeguards to navigate the home energy upgrades market and ensure high-quality services and products.”

“We all want to see Victoria move to a cheaper, healthier and cleaner energy mix – and this bill will help us do that.”

VCOSS submission to the Building Electrification Regulatory Impact Statement

The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) strongly supports getting fossil gas out of homes. Electrification is the best pathway to decarbonising the residential sector, and efficient electric appliances are cheaper to run, healthier, and create fewer emissions. 

Historically, Victorian households were encouraged to connect to gas and use it liberally. Often this abundance led to the use of less efficient appliances, and the building of homes that were extremely energy inefficient – that is, difficult to cool in summer and difficult to heat in winter.  

Depleting gas fields, high demand, policy settings favouring export, and international market forces mean that gas is no longer a cheap source of energy for Victorians. Modern electric appliance technologies such as heat pumps are far more efficient than fossil gas alternatives. They are therefore cheaper to operate, consuming less energy for the same tasks. 

It is now also clear that burning fossil gas is a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. Meanwhile, our electricity network is increasingly based on renewable energy sources. As such, getting off gas is essential to reaching our net zero targets. 

There is also a growing body of evidence that burning gas in the home is damaging to health, with fugitive (unintentional) emissions linked to increased rates of asthma and respiratory illnesses, especially among children. As much as 12 per cent of all childhood asthma cases in Australia can be attributed to gas cooktops.¹ 

Victoria uses more fossil gas for residential and commercial purposes than other states, accounting for two-thirds of national household and commercial consumption, and three times more than the next highest user, New South Wales. ² In fact, Victoria is the only state where the residential use of gas is higher than industrial usage. Victoria is also the only state where fossil gas usage is higher than electricity usage in the homes.³ 

In this context, VCOSS has long supported the Victorian Government’s policy of gradual household electrification, and reversal of historic policies that encourage new gas connections. 

If planned well, electrification, as with all climate policies, has the potential to address many of the drivers of inequality in our economy, such as the quality and energy efficiency performance of housing. The reverse is also true: a poorly handled transition will entrench and exacerbate existing inequalities.  

Low-income households already spend a disproportionate portion of their income on energy bills. As such, any effort that assists low-income households to electrify their homes will see a significant reduction in bill stress. This is particularly true when costs for all of life’s basics are high, stretching household budgets from all angles.  

The government has a crucial role to play in ensuring all Victorians can access the benefits of electrification, as some households face structural barriers to electrifying their home. This includes the upfront cost of appliances, the potential costs of rewiring homes, differing rights over modifications to properties between owner-occupiers, renters and people in apartments, the costs of goods and services in rural and regional areas, and language and digital barriers. Often those that would benefit the most from electrification are those that face the most challenging barriers. 

These obstacles can be overcome only through government interventions. We cannot leave the energy transition to market forces.  

In this submission, VCOSS details its support for the Victorian Government’s proposed regulatory changes and recommends: 

• The Victorian Government lead the way with social housing retrofits. 

• Support for low-income households to benefit from electrification. 

• Phasing out gas cooktops. 

• Enacting strong enforcement and compliance measures, alongside proactive community outreach. 

• Planning long-term for the eventual end of fossil gas usage in the home. 

Alongside the proposed building electrification requirements discussed here, VCOSS is also a strong supporter of the Victorian Government’s proposed energy efficiency minimum standards for rentals.⁴ Taken together, these policies represent a significant and ambitious step forward in improving the quality, liveability, and affordability of housing in Victoria. 

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VCOSS submission to the Building Electrification Regulatory Impact Statement

The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) strongly supports getting fossil gas out of homes. Electrification is the best pathway to decarbonising the residential sector, and efficient electric appliances are cheaper to run, healthier, and create fewer emissions.

Historically, Victorian households were encouraged to connect to gas and use it liberally. Often this abundance led to the use of less efficient appliances, and the building of homes that were extremely energy inefficient – that is, difficult to cool in summer and difficult to heat in winter.

Depleting gas fields, high demand, policy settings favouring export, and international market forces mean that gas is no longer a cheap source of energy for Victorians. Modern electric appliance technologies such as heat pumps are far more efficient than fossil gas alternatives. They are therefore cheaper to operate, consuming less energy for the same tasks.

It is now also clear that burning fossil gas is a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. Meanwhile, our electricity network is increasingly based on renewable energy sources. As such, getting off gas is essential to reaching our net zero targets.

There is also a growing body of evidence that burning gas in the home is damaging to health, with fugitive (unintentional) emissions linked to increased rates of asthma and respiratory illnesses, especially among children. As much as 12 per cent of all childhood asthma cases in Australia can be attributed to gas cooktops.[1]

Victoria uses more fossil gas for residential and commercial purposes than other states, accounting for two-thirds of national household and commercial consumption, and three times more than the next highest user, New South Wales. [2] In fact, Victoria is the only state where the residential use of gas is higher than industrial usage. Victoria is also the only state where fossil gas usage is higher than electricity usage in the homes.[3]

In this context, VCOSS has long supported the Victorian Government’s policy of gradual household electrification, and reversal of historic policies that encourage new gas connections.

If planned well, electrification, as with all climate policies, has the potential to address many of the drivers of inequality in our economy, such as the quality and energy efficiency performance of housing. The reverse is also true: a poorly handled transition will entrench and exacerbate existing inequalities.

Low-income households already spend a disproportionate portion of their income on energy bills. As such, any effort that assists low-income households to electrify their homes will see a significant reduction in bill stress. This is particularly true when costs for all of life’s basics are high, stretching household budgets from all angles.

The government has a crucial role to play in ensuring all Victorians can access the benefits of electrification, as some households face structural barriers to electrifying their home. This includes the upfront cost of appliances, the potential costs of rewiring homes, differing rights over modifications to properties between owner-occupiers, renters and people in apartments, the costs of goods and services in rural and regional areas, and language and digital barriers. Often those that would benefit the most from electrification are those that face the most challenging barriers.

These obstacles can be overcome only through government interventions. We cannot leave the energy transition to market forces.

In this submission, VCOSS details its support for the Victorian Government’s proposed regulatory changes and recommends:

• The Victorian Government lead the way with social housing retrofits.
• Support for low-income households to benefit from electrification.
• Phasing out gas cooktops.
• Enacting strong enforcement and compliance measures, alongside proactive community outreach.
• Planning long-term for the eventual end of fossil gas usage in the home.

Alongside the proposed building electrification requirements discussed here, VCOSS is also a strong supporter of the Victorian Government’s proposed energy efficiency minimum standards for rentals.[4] Taken together, these policies represent a significant and ambitious step forward in improving the quality, liveability, and affordability of housing in Victoria.

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[1] Knibbs, L. D., Woldeyohannes, S. Marks, G. B. and Cowie, C.T. (2018), “Damp housing, gas stoves, and the burden of childhood asthma in Australia,” Medical Journal of Australia, 208: 299- 302.

[2] Infrastructure Victoria (2021) Towards 2050: Gas infrastructure in a net zero emissions economy; Department of Transport and Planning (2024) Building Electrification – Regulatory Impact Statement, p32.

[3] Department of Transport and Planning (2024) Building Electrification – Regulatory Impact Statement, p32.

[4] For the minimum standards see: Deloitte Access Economics and Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (2024) Minimum energy efficiency and safety standards for rental homes – Regulatory Impact Statement. For VCOSS’ response to the proposal, see: Victorian Council of Social Service (2024) VCOSS Submission on Energy Efficiency Minimum Standards for Rental Properties and Rooming Houses.

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People are hurting. It’s time for a budget focused on care – and the care economy.

A note from VCOSS CEO Juanita Pope

In a time of constrained fiscal conditions and mounting social disunity, there’s one thing most of our state – indeed our country – can agree on: people are hurting.

The current cost of living is placing immense strain on Victorians. Many people are being pushed to the brink, an increasing number skipping meals just to pay the rent.
This is not a new phenomenon – it’s just more visible. Well before the cost-of-living crisis became a media talking point, 800,000 Victorians were living in poverty. The current situation is symptomatic of deep rooted social and economic inequality.

Now is the time for strong, compassionate, smart responses from government. And bold action on poverty and economic exclusion.

Governments make choices about how public funds will be spent. That’s what budgets are for. The choices that government makes – who it chooses to invest in – send a powerful message, especially to people who need support. If decisions are made that prioritise commercial interests over the wellbeing of people, this is not only socially and morally unsound, it’s economically shortsighted.

A truly prosperous economy is one that enables all citizens to thrive – that lifts them up when they are down. It’s an economy underpinned by robust, holistic foundational supports – things like housing, healthcare, good schooling, childcare, community connections and the skills to get a decent job and lead a fulfilling life.

Investing in these foundations – and in the services that provide them – is key to Victoria’s economic and social prosperity. Drip-fed, short term, siloed support will not cut it.

In 2025, Victoria needs a budget that values care and focuses on the care economy. When we invest in care and wellbeing, we unlock the potential for a more resilient, inclusive economy.

The organisations that deliver care and social supports for Australians – including health and human services, children’s early education and community development – represent the largest employing industry in the country. They offer enormous potential for economic and social returns.

As more Victorians turn to care services in hard times, Victoria should invest in the sector that has caring at its core. Investing in the care economy not only generates real jobs, but also builds a solid social foundation – both for Victorians who are hurting right now, and for future generations.

When we invest in care and wellbeing, we unlock the potential for a more resilient, inclusive economy.

Victoria’s investment in the care economy must be approached strategically. We need to ensure support for the workers who make the industry successful and sustainable. Boosted resources for workforce development, core operations and care infrastructure will ensure that the care economy remains a stable, sustainable driver of good jobs, social wellbeing and economic growth. This allows us to tackle both immediate needs and long-term challenges, like the ageing population and the escalating impacts of climate change.

It’s about priorities.

Compassionate and smart policy-making puts social equity and human wellbeing as its central tenets.

It’s time for leaders to return to the basics: alleviate poverty, provide essential services, help people and invest in care that works.

Only when we prioritise these fundamental pillars will we achieve an inclusive, sustainable economy that our society desperately needs.

Juanita Pope
VCOSS CEO

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ANALYSIS

We must build homes to withstand the weather of the future now.

It’s no secret that Victorians who experience disadvantages like poverty and rental stress tend to be locked out of safe, high-quality and comfortable housing.

High prices leave people with little choice about where to live, often forcing them into areas that expose them to higher temperatures and other climate-related harms. And in these areas, people get stuck with substandard and poorly maintained homes.

Energy efficiency standards help ensure new homes have critical, basic features that keep them comfortable and keep energy bills affordable: things like insulation, air tightness, efficient heating and cooling, and double-glazed windows.

However, most of Victoria’s homes were built before energy efficiency standards were introduced into the National Construction Code (NCC) in 2006. On the National House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), these homes achieve an average rating of just 1.8 out of 10 stars.

Energy efficiency advocates refer to these homes as ‘tents’.

Homes built today, with stricter energy efficiency requirements, must achieve at least 7 stars under NatHERS.

This wide disparity creates a divide between those who can afford to live in efficient, healthy, comfortable homes and those who can’t. Newer or recently renovated homes command higher purchase or rental prices, locking out people on low incomes.

But lower quality homes tend to have higher running costs. This is a trap: while rents may be lower, energy bills are much higher. These homes also expose occupants to unhealthy indoor temperatures, often leading to poor health outcomes. 

And the situation is about to get much worse.

That’s because homes built today are constructed to withstand the temperatures of the past. They’re not built with a view to what temperatures will be in the coming decades, let alone 50+ years from now.

According to recent research, homes built to today’s 7-star standard could become as uncomfortable in the heatwaves of 2070 as today’s very inefficient homes are now. The homes we currently consider energy efficient will require more air conditioning to stay comfortable during heatwaves and in hotter day-to-day conditions.

homes built today are constructed to withstand the temperatures of the past. They’re not built with a view to what temperatures will be in the coming decades, let alone 50+ years from now.

This is obviously a problem on many levels. Not everyone can afford air conditioning, and people who do have it can’t always afford to use it. And using air conditioning is maladaptive, contributing to climate change and creating an endless feedback loop.

Reverse cycle air conditioners are efficient and can reduce this effect, particularly if they’re run on renewables, but this expensive technology is out of reach for many people.

And if homes that are currently considered ‘energy efficient’ are going to leave people unsustainably dependent on air conditioning in coming decades, this begs the question: what about the ‘tents’.

The answer is that they will be unlivable. And this will expose many of the most vulnerable people in our communities to far higher temperatures, to heat-related suffering, and even to death.

The way forward is to amend the NCC to require new homes to be built to withstand the temperatures of the coming decades, and to ensure that all Victorians – including those experiencing disadvantage – have equitable access to them.

VCOSS and others have called for this necessary change to the NCC in submissions to the Government’s Plan for Victoria, which presents an opportunity to build this kind of forward-looking planning into the state’s regulatory infrastructure and keep communities safe.  

If you’re a social justice advocate, the intersection between climate change and housing is an important one that affects everyone. VCOSS convenes a network of advocates in this space called the One Million Homes Alliance. Get in contact with Julianne Tice if you’d like to get involved.

You can read the research by Renew and Sweltering Cities here.

VCOSS submission to Plan For Victoria

Victoria desperately needs more homes.

The Victorian Government has already set a bold target of building at least 800,000 new homes over the next decade. This level of ambition is required to make housing more available and affordable for every Victorian.

VCOSS is a strong supporter of this planned turbocharging of housing supply.

But how we deliver housing matters.

The Victorian Government’s Housing Statement wisely proposed a refresh of our entire planning system

Planning is a powerful tool. It’s much more than a set of rules determining how things are built. Planning is a process to decide what we value and the kind of society we wish to live in.

Plan for Victoria is a rare opportunity to reshape and reimagine Victorian communities.

We must rise to this challenge with audacity, clarity and intent.

Plan for Victoria must be a plan to deliver more liveable, resilient and thriving communities for future generations.

Throughout this submission VCOSS seeks to:

• Make practical recommendations to support Victoria to meet its ambitious housing target.
• Identify opportunities to make all communities sustainable, liveable and well-connected.
• Share a positive vision for how planning can be a tool for distributive justice and social change.
• Assist government to identify and avoid the negative consequences of poor planning.

So the Victorian Government can be supported in its decision-making, VCOSS wishes to present the urgent need for more housing within the context of broader trends and imperatives. These include:

1. Growing inequality, rising homelessness and soaring rents
2. The absolute need to be sustainable and climate-resilient
3. A recognition that all planning takes place on Aboriginal land.

We propose specific recommendations in the areas of wellbeing, housing, care for County, climate and thriving communities.

Building 800,000 new homes requires a whole-of-community effort, including developers, councils and local residents.

To drive this effort the Victorian Government must lead with action. As such, a central plank of this approach must be the Victorian Government directly creating more public and community housing – beyond current commitments. Plan for Victoria should include a target of building 332,100 additional units of social housing by 2051 (representing 13.5 per cent of Plan for Victoria overall target for new homes).

Let’s build the future we want.

Talking to the community

VCOSS convened three face-to-face community consultation sessions about Plan for Victoria, in Sunbury, Benalla and Maryborough.

VCOSS Submission on Energy Efficiency Minimum Standards for Rental Properties and Rooming Houses

VCOSS strongly supports the Victorian Government’s proposal to introduce new minimum energy efficiency standards in rental properties.
The proposed standards for ceiling insulation, draught sealing, water heating, and heating and cooling are a good start for comprehensive minimum standards for energy efficiency in Victorian rental properties. Safety standards for securing blind cords, and the introduction of a heating standard for rooming houses, are crucial and timely measures.
VCOSS recommends strong implementation measures that will ensure the efficacy of the current suite of proposed standards. We also note some improvements that are required now and in future rounds of reform.
Energy efficient homes are critical for people’s health and wellbeing, their wallets, and the planet. They are more comfortable to live in, cost less to heat and cool, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In terms of thermal performance and energy efficiency, the rental sector currently serves up some of the worst quality homes in Victoria. More Victorians are renting, the impacts of climate change are increasing, and energy costs are consistently high. Improving the quality, comfort and safety of rental homes to a basic, liveable standard is critical to mitigate the impact of these factors on renters. Benefits include reductions in the rates of chronic illness like asthma, reduced depression and anxiety, and even prevention of suicide.

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Disasters might not “discriminate”, but nor do they impact everybody the same.

Following the devastating floods across Victoria in October 2022, VCOSS initiated the Multicultural Resilience Project. The aim was to support multicultural communities across the north and north-west of the state to continue to recover, rebuild, and strengthen resilience in the case of future disasters.

Using a co-design approach, VCOSS partnered with four local multicultural community organisations to take the lead in co-designing a resource with their communities to address a pressing issue. From delivering health advocacy training with seasonal workers in Shepparton to creating an emergency management 101 video for newly arrived families in Wodonga, each solution developed was completely unique.

The insights report highlights the common experiences, challenges, strengths and needs of regional multicultural communities during and after the floods.

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ANALYSIS

Numbers, stats and percentages.

This is how we’re used to getting information about the world: in quantifiable blocks.

Sometimes though, the figures that float around the most contested subjects become so well-circulated that they risk being leached of meaning.

Figures like 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees of global warming.

And emissions reduction targets: 28 per cent; 45 per cent; 75 per cent.

These numbers are in particularly heavy circulation at the moment because the Victorian Government is in the process of setting its emissions reduction target for 2035, and is taking input through an Independent Expert Panel.

VCOSS made a submission to the panel, which is empowered to consider the “likely impact of the target on the health and wellbeing of Victorians”.

But getting a clear sense of the health and wellbeing implications of an emissions target – the number at which it’s set and, just as importantly, the plan for how to reach it – requires seeing the figures and percentages for what they really mean.

For the most vulnerable Victorians, in the starkest terms, these numbers can translate into death sentences.

For instance, we know that heatwaves will increase as temperatures warm.

In the pre-industrial era there used to be severe heatwaves in Australia – the kind that killed 167 Victorians in 2014 – every 50 years or so.

An emissions target that corresponds to a temperature increase of 2 degrees will mean we can expect such a deadly heatwave every 3.6 years.

Bushfires, storms, droughts and floods also become more widespread and more severe with every fraction of a degree of warming.

And these impacts hit vulnerable people the hardest: people forced by economic necessity to live in urban heat islands and bushfire risk zones, in areas prone to devastating floods, in baking homes without air conditioning or without the money to run it.

When the expert panel considers the health and wellbeing impacts of emissions targets, the headline fact in their sights should be that the Victorian Government’s current target for 2030 – 45–50 per cent – puts us on a path towards 2 degrees of warming, and all the devastating impacts this will mean.

To limit warming to 1.5 degrees – and correspondingly limit human suffering – we need a target of 75 per cent emissions reduction for 2030, not 45–50 per cent.

And we need to hit net zero emissions by 2035, not 2050.

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Of course, the outcomes predicted in these trajectories are predicated on levels of global warming, to which Victorian emissions are just one small contributor.

This shouldn’t be an argument against taking action: only setting and achieving responsible targets in all jurisdictions will ward off the worst impacts of climate change and protect vulnerable people everywhere.

But if we need an entirely local argument for setting ambitious emissions reduction targets in Victoria, we can find one in the health, economic and general wellbeing benefits that can flow from an equitable transition to a net zero carbon economy.

That’s because the same people most at risk from the impacts of climate change are the ones who stand to benefit most from better, cleaner, more sustainable technologies.

Improved thermal comfort from upgrading the energy efficiency of Victorian homes can save low-income Victorians money, suffering and even their lives: research has shown that if all Victorian homes had an energy efficiency rating of 5.4 NatHERS Stars, rather than the current average of 1.8, the vast majority of people who died in the 2009 heatwave could have survived.

Electrifying households and giving them access to new emissions-reducing technologies will ease cost-of-living pressures that are currently hitting low-income households hard. For instance, households that take up the Solar Homes rebate to instal solar panels save over $1,000 on average each year on energy bills.

And Victorians experiencing compounded disadvantages have the most to gain – such as low-income Victorians with disabilities and chronic health conditions, who are more susceptible to the health impacts of extreme heat and cold.

Cutting back on air pollution by transitioning to clean renewable energy would also offer most benefit to vulnerable Victorians, including those in the air pollution ‘hot spots’ of the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland and Yarraville and Brooklyn in western Melbourne.

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Transitioning to a net zero carbon economy is not an easy prospect. But Climateworks’ Decarbonisation Futures report shows that keeping to 1.5 degrees of warming is feasible in Australia if governments immediately deploy demonstrated zero-emissions technologies and rapidly develop emerging innovations.

And the IPCC has shown that the economic benefits of limiting warming outweigh the costs, while taking early action is cheaper in the long run.

To limit warming to 1.5 degrees – and correspondingly limit human suffering – we need a target of 75 per cent emissions reduction for 2030, not 45–50 per cent.

Doing it fairly – so that the health and wellbeing benefits are felt across the board and particularly by people who need them most – is also challenging.

Overcoming inequity in the transition has so far proved elusive. For instance, financially comfortable households are currently more than twice as likely to have rooftop solar panels as those under financial pressure, and homeowners are five times more likely than renters.

But this can change.

Cutting emissions with an equity lens is possible, through programs that are:

• targeted at households who would benefit the most;
• fully subsidised or combined with no-interest loans for households who can’t afford upfront costs;
• designed to benefit all types of households including renters and those in public and community housing; and
• measured and monitored to ensure uptake isn’t skewed towards affluent households and homeowners.

The initiatives that can be of most equitable benefit for a low-carbon Victoria are:

• Upgrading residential energy efficiency, by funding a state-wide trajectory to a rating equivalent to  6 NatHERS Stars for all homes.
• Equitably electrifying homes, with low-income households and private and social renters prioritised.
• Ensuring all households can access solar energy, via a combination of solar panels and batteries. This can include programs such as community energy hubs for apartment buildings, and rooftop solar panels on all public housing.
• Supporting the community sector to decarbonise.
• Expanding public and active transport options.

There also needs to be a focus on a just transition in areas dependent on fossil fuel industries, like the Latrobe Valley.

Long-term investment in these communities can cushion the economic impacts of the transition and give communities hope for a thriving future. Programs should be co-designed with the communities they affect, and should include a focus on employment opportunities in the healthcare and social services sector, which is the Latrobe Valley’s biggest and fastest-growing employer.

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Creating a liveable Victoria now and for future generations relies very much on the policy decisions of the next 10–15 years.

It’s a moment of unprecedented challenge and also unprecedented opportunity.

The Victorian Government can rise to the challenge by setting bold emissions reduction targets.

And through equitable strategies to reach those targets we can grasp the opportunity for a fair society: one where everyone has a shot at good health and wellbeing, and no one is handed a death sentence by numbers.

Read VCOSS’s submission on Victoria’s emissions reduction target for 2035 here.

VCOSS submission on Victoria’s emissions reduction target for 2035

We know that climate change disproportionally impacts Victorians experiencing disadvantage and we know that lowering emissions will save lives. The science has proven that limiting global warming to 1.5^oC is the best result for Victorians’ health and wellbeing, which should be the basis of the state’s 2035 emissions reduction target.

The transition to a net zero economy must be fair and the benefits of new technologies must be shared with the households who need it most. An equitable approach is more than ensuring people are not worse off; it means addressing existing disadvantage and improving people’s lives.

Housing in Victoria needs to be transformed by 2035. Every Victorian should enjoy an energy efficient and all-electric home and have access to solar energy regardless of whether they rent, live in social housing, or own their own home.

And the next decade will be crucial for securing a just transition in the Latrobe Valley. The local community needs stable employment in emerging industries and investment in essential services to thrive as ageing coal-fired power plants continue to close.

The community sector will also need assistance with reducing its emissions. The sector provides vital support for people experiencing disadvantage and organisations want to play their part in reducing the impact of climate change on their clients and staff.

BUDGET ANALYSIS

This is a long-form analysis of the Victorian Government’s investments in climate change and climate equity. For a quick summary of specific Budget program expenditure in this space click here.

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The COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-20 bushfires and severe storms have sorely tested Victoria, and building resilience to future stressors including climate change must be an ongoing priority.

Community organisations are key to building resilience and to supporting people and communities during a crisis. They have knowledge and skills that are vital during disasters, crucial in their aftermath, and essential to building community resilience. However, the full value of this sector is not being realised.

Prior to the pandemic, community organisations were struggling to reconcile increasing costs with inadequate funding and revenue. This has been exacerbated during COVID-19. Consequently, many community sector organisations are constrained in their capacity to undertake comprehensive emergency planning. Furthermore, as a consequence of short-term contracts, there is a lack of institutionalised knowledge and skills for emergency planning and preparedness.

Another challenge is that community sector organisations are typically overlooked in emergency planning, despite their strong connection with clients and local communities and their ability to provide critical information and services before, during and after extreme events.

While some funding toward emergency resilience has been provided in the Budget, it doesn’t go far enough in the current environment. VCOSS welcomes funding for the Food Relief Taskforce and pop-up food relief markets across metropolitan Melbourne and operational funding for six regional food hubs (Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Shepparton and Warrnambool). VCOSS also notes funding for volunteers in the SES and Surf Life Saving Victoria.

However, VCOSS had hoped to see additional investments, such as renewed funding for the eight Regional Ethnic Communities Councils to prioritise issues, coordinate resources and lead COVID recovery initiatives, and participate in regional incident teams for other emergencies. We note the Budget does include continuing COVID-19 support and recovery for Victorian communities and will be keen to see if this provides an opportunity to help sustain the regional councils.

VCOSS notes that the total spend on climate change next financial year is just $27.6 million, down from the $46.0 million spent in 2021-22. That is a 40 per cent decrease at a time when Victoria is feeling the impacts of climate change each year, and there is still a chance of reducing emissions quickly enough to limit global warming to 1.5^oC.

While some funding toward emergency resilience has been provided in the Budget, it doesn’t go far enough in the current environment.

The Budget could have provided funding to implement the seven Adaptation Action Plans, including the Health and Human Services plan, which sets out actions to help the community sector adapt to climate change. And Victorians experiencing disadvantage need more support to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, which reduces emissions but also helps people keep cool in summer and warm in winter without exorbitant energy bills.

The Budget also could have committed long-term funding to the Latrobe Valley Authority, which is helping the local economy transition from coal-fired power generation to new industries. While $7.5 million is welcome for 2022-23, we note that the transition could take decades and the community sector is concerned about residents’ social wellbeing.

On the plus side, the Budget does include a $26.3 million boost to the Solar Homes program so more households can receive subsidies for solar panels and batteries. The no-interest loan scheme is particularly useful for low-income homeowners, though work will be needed to boost uptake by landlords for their renters.

It is also promising that $7.7 million is being spent on creating two air quality precincts and reducing local air pollution. Victoria is home to three of Australia’s 12 air pollution hot spots so it is hoped that the precincts are established in the Latrobe Valley and western Melbourne where residents are most affected by dirty air.

Victoria’s transition to a more just and clean energy future will require detailed, often technical, deliberation on topics such as infrastructure economics and energy market and technology innovation, including inter-dependencies.

VCOSS’ input at this time is focused on how the roadmap’s priority actions are structured for maximum public benefit.

Whatever decarbonisation pathways the roadmap ultimately proposes, it is critical that it include a clear plan for providing Victorians who need it with financial and practical support throughout this transition.

At the same time, the implications of this transition on low-income households are not just costs and potential policy risks to be mitigated. Instead, they should be prioritised as investment opportunities for better household wellbeing and State-wide environmental and economic outcomes.