Join the LG Professionals SA Community Development Network for their final Forum of 2025: Thriving through change – The Cost of Living.
Communities across South Australia are feeling the pressures of rising living costs, with many individuals and families facing increasing challenges in their daily lives. Local governments and community organisations are at the forefront of responding to these pressures, finding innovative and practical ways to support resilience, wellbeing, and inclusion.
This Forum, Thriving Through Change – The Cost of Living, will bring together sector leaders and practitioners to share strategies that are making a tangible difference. From examining the broader systemic impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, to highlighting grassroots initiatives in local councils and community centres, the session will provide both insight and inspiration for building stronger, more resilient communities.
We are delighted to welcome guest speakers including Greg Ogle, Jane Laws, Theresa Brown, Sarah McLeod, and Kerstin Martins. Together, they will explore how we can not only respond to immediate needs but also foster long-term community resilience and strength.
Further information on these sessions is below:
Living on the Edge: How the Cost of Living is Impacting Communities
Greg Ogle
Senior Policy Officer and Research Analyst
South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS)
Greg Ogle will open the forum by unpacking how cost-of-living pressures are being felt across South Australian communities, particularly for households under strain. From the “poverty premium” in energy and housing costs to the Vegemite Index and the impacts of state budget decisions, Greg will translate the data into clear, practical insights that ground the conversation in lived community realities and highlight where local government and practitioners can make a difference.
Community Case Studies
Jane Laws
Team Leader Neighbourhood Development
City of Salisbury
The Hive Community Resource Hub at Burton launched in March 2025 and is City of Salisbury's major additional response to the cost-of-living crisis.
Formally Burton Community Hub, the building was relaunched as The Hive, a regional Hub, following responses received in community consultation in 2024 that was conducted to understand what the immediate pressure points are for City of Salisbury’s local community.
The Hive is a central point for people to gather information, build their capacity, develop connections and access resources and relief with specific focus on household costs, financial wellbeing and food insecurity.
Theresa Brown
Team Leader Community Centres
City of Port Adelaide Enfield
As more community members came to the Kilburn Community Centre seeking support due to increasing cost-of-living pressures, the City of Port Adelaide Enfield developed a program designed to help residents gain the knowledge and skills to “thrive on less”.
The program consisted of a six-part workshop series, each tackling a different aspect of everyday life. Sessions included understanding available concessions, exploring money values, finding budget-friendly alternatives, affordable cooking, low-cost home cleaning, and clothing mending and upcycling.
In this presentation, Theresa will share insights into what resonated most with participants and what proved less effective.
Sarah McLeod
Community Development Officer (Jubilee Community Centre)
City of Tea Tree Gully
This presentation showcases the Jubilee Community Centre’s initiatives that bring people together through food and community support. Key programs include Foodbank and The Food Centre’s affordable meal packs, the Chatty Café initiative to reduce loneliness, and a community Christmas Day lunch supporting those experiencing isolation.
Together, these initiatives highlight the power of collaboration in fostering connection and care addressing food insecurity, social isolation, and financial hardship while strengthening community partnerships.
From Compassion Fatigue to Compassion Strength
Kerstin Martins
In this session, Kerstin Martins will guide us through the shift from fatigue to strength - exploring how compassion, when cultivated intentionally, becomes a source of resilience, purpose, and empowerment. Participants will gain an understanding of the science behind compassion fatigue, learn practical tools to renew energy, and walk away with strategies to harness compassion as a sustainable strength rather than a drain. This is an opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and equip ourselves with practices that support not only the communities we serve, but also our own wellbeing.
Registrations for this forum are open to Local Government Professionals Australia, SA members, council employees, employees of regional subsidiaries and Local Government Professionals Australia, SA invited guests.
By registering for this forum you will be subscribed to the LG Professionals SA mailing list. Should you wish to unsubscribe at any time, please email admin@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.
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