Basic Needs

All people and communities should live a life free of poverty and disadvantage.

High living costs, limited access to goods and services, and inadequate safety nets however mean many Territorians struggle to meet their basic needs. The Northern Territory has the highest rates of poverty in Australia. Between 2016 and 2021, poverty in remote Indigenous NT communities increased by 10–13 percentage points, while it declined in most other parts of the country. To build a fair and inclusive Territory, where everyone can thrive, we must support people to meet their basic needs.

NTCOSS calls for a range of policy solutions to support vulnerable and disadvantaged Territorians, including:

• Adequate income support payments
• Affordable housing and stronger protections for renters
• Safe, affordable and reliable transport options

Latest publications and submissions:

• Cost of living reports
• Submission Parliamentary Joint Committee on Northern Australian Inquiry into Energy, Food and Water Security January 2025
• Joint Submission to the Select Committee on Cost of Living 2024
• Submissions into the Inquiry into Compulsory Income Management 2024
• Submission to the Inquiry to the Extent and Nature of Poverty in Australia 2023
• Submission to the Inquiry into the Worsening Rental Crisis in Australia 2023
• Submission to the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issue Paper 2023

Latest news and media:

• Raise the Rate

Cost of Living Reports

NTCOSS regularly publishes Cost of Living Reports that track changes in living expenses and highlight the real impacts on Territorians with the least resources. These reports help shine a light on inequality and provide evidence to inform policies that improve fairness and financial wellbeing across the NT.