Media Releases

According to a recently released report "TTSS: The Shrinking Circle", one third of people with disability using the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS) rely on taxis as their only option for getting around. With fare costs constantly escalating, getting around has become more and more unaffordable and now many people with disability are facing social and financial disadvantage.

The report was based on state-wide survey to gauge opinion from TTSS participants about its affordability. While the TTSS exists to alleviate transport disadvantage for people with a disability by helping them meet the costs of transport, the subsidy has not been increased since 1999, and now 40% of employed people have reported spending up to 30% of their incomes on taxis.

It's often easy to say what you don't like about how things are, but have you thought about how should they be? If you want to see a social plan for the future that takes into account what the community really wants, come along to a community forum in Brunswick Heads on Thursday, May 2 at 12pm and give your ideas about what our region should be like in the future. The forum will be held at Brunswick Memorial Hall and the ideas generated will be used by Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC) and Regional Development Australia (RDA) – Northern Rivers to develop a social plan for our region.

The Regional Social Plan will help change makers such as community groups and organisations know what's important to the people of the Northern Rivers region. Many concerned citizens and organisations are working toward providing services and making our communities better places to live in. If we can gather more evidence about what is important to the community, we can use this data to advocate and lobby government to bring about the changes we need.

It's often easy to say what you don't like about how things are, but have you thought about how should they be? If you want to see a social plan for the future that takes into account what the community really wants, come along to a community forum in Grafton on Wednesday, May 1 at 4pm and give your ideas about what our region should be like in the future. The forum will be held at Grafton Community Centre and the ideas generated will be used by Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC) and Regional Development Australia (RDA) – Northern Rivers to develop a social plan for our region.

Clarence community members are invited to a community forum to give their ideas about what our region should be like in the future. The forum will be held at Grafton Community Centre on Wednesday, May 1 at 4pm and the ideas generated will be used by Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC) and Regional Development Australia (RDA) – Northern Rivers to develop a social plan for our region.

On any given night in Australia, 26,000 young people are homeless. Over 5000 of those will be sleeping rough while over 20,000 will be making do as best the can between on the couches or floors of other people’s houses.

Youth Homelessness Matters Day on Wednesday, April 10, is a national campaign that aims to raise public awareness about youth homelessness. This year the aim of the campaign is to get 26,000 people to pledge to give up their bed own bed for the night. Youth Connections North Coast and Northern Rivers Social Development Council have taken up that challenge and have invited community representatives and workers to take the pledge and give up their beds for the night, instead camping out on the floor of a Church hall.