Not for profit reform can’t be rushed

UnitingCare Australia has said the Government’s decision to extend the start date for the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission to October 1 should buy time to get the underpinning legislation right.

National Director, Lin Hatfield Dodds, said she hoped the extension would provide enough time to ensure the people drafting the legislation can fully consider the context and consequences of this historic change for the not for profit sector.

“We have pushed hard for this extension and we are pleased to see the Government has listened.

“We had concerns with the initial draft of the Bill.

“We support a national regulator but it needs to be set up in a way that enables what we do, not in a way that adds additional layers of red tape.

“The legislation needs to acknowledge the unique nature of the not for profit sector and not expect us to be corporate Australia.

“The community sector needs a regulator that understands, respects and encourages the diversity which defines the not for profit sector.”

The UnitingCare network provides social services to over 2 million people each year in 1,300 sites in remote, rural and metropolitan Australia. The network employs 35,000 staff and 24,000 volunteers.