Last-ditch push to rescue South Australia's charities commission SACOSS executive director Ross Womersley ... trying to save charity watchdog Picture: Greg Higgs Source: News Limited SOUTH Australian charities and community groups are making a last-gasp attempt to rescue the watchdog that oversees their sector. The Australian Charities and Not-For Profits Commission is under threat because of Federal Goverment funding cuts. Australians are donating record amounts of money to charity and the South Australian Council of Social Service argues the public needs to have confidence that the sector is properly scrutinised and regulated. SACOSS executive director Ross Womersley is urging crossbench senators to vote against abolition of the commission. "The role of the ACNC is to, in large part, ensure that the public can have confidence that the sector is being properly regulated and scrutinised to ensure that their money i, s in fact, being spent in the ways that they would hope and anticipate,"" Mr Womersley said. SACOSS is hoping to persuade SA Family First Senator Bob Day to vote against the abolition of the commission. Research by the National Australia Bank shows that Australians who donate to charity give an average of $315 per year. The results of an ACNC report to be presented at a meeting in Adelaide today show that Australian charities have a turnover of more than $100 billion ar year and employ nearly a million people. The Federal Government wants to return the ACNC's core functions to the Australian Taxation Office. Originally published as Don't put down our watchdog, say SA charities