The Australia We Want, First Report. October 2016

The Australia We Want, First Report provides the first ever benchmark of how Australia, and each State and Territory, is performing against values prioritised by leaders in the charities and not-for-proft sector.  Released on 27 October at the National Press Club, with CCA Chair, Rev Tim Costello asking us all to accept the challenge to Achieve the Australia We Want.

 

A MESSAGE FROM CCA CHAIR, REV TIM COSTELLO

Rev Tim Costello

Is the Australia of today and the future we are creating, the Australia we want?

The Australia We Want, First Report asks us all to answer this question, and to act on the answers we draw from its data and findings. 

The Community Council for Australia and charity leaders from across the sector began this work at a roundtable in 2015. We were determined that debates about Australia’s future move beyond a discussion of the type of economy to be achieved, and to talk fundamentally about the society we want to live in. Australians are more than individual tax paying economic units.  Our productivity, innovation, skills and achievements are actually grounded in flourishing communities within our schools, workplaces, families and local neighbourhoods.

The Australia We Want is the first ever benchmark of how Australia and each State and Territory is performing against values and goals prioritised by leaders from across the charities sector.  These values include: just, fair, safe, inclusive, equality of opportunity, united, authentic, creative, confident, courageous, optimistic, generous, kind, and compassionate.  Drawing on key statistics from the OECD, ABS and the AIHW, to evaluate these values, the report reveals that:

  • Australian incarceration rates are high - 3 times that of Ireland and rising (how just are we?)
  • Australian suicide rates are higher than our road toll and increasing (how inclusive are we?)
  • Inequality in income distribution is higher than most other OECD countries - and growing (how fair are we?) 
  • Australians volunteer less and give less as a percentage of income than five years ago (how kind and generous are we?)
  • Australia is slipping down both the international corruption scale and the scale of international generosity (how authentic and compassionate are we?) 

The values and indicators outlined in this report provide a framework for exploring, debating and evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats inherent in the way all of us act - charities, businesses, governments, communities. 

I hope that you will join me in a movement for change, and use this information in your work and your sphere of influence to help create a better Australia. We can all do more to achieve the Australia we want. 

Please also stay in touch with CCA’s work.  Our next step is to bring together sector leaders in AusWeWant roundtables later this year and next year.  If you would like to know details as these are scheduled, please contact CEO, David Crosbie and the team at CCA: info@communitycouncil.com.au

Rev Tim Costello

Chair, Community Council for Australia

CCA acknowledges the generous support of Equity Trustees and the Centre for Social Impact in this project.

Share::