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John Gardiner-Garden, Coral Dow and Michael Klapdor
This year’s budget measures continue the Government’s
commitment to ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians through targeted funding of $1.3 billion over four years. A
significant proportion—$807.4 million—is directed to initiatives under the
Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER), now named Closing the Gap in the
Northern Territory.
This is in addition to the Federal Government’s $3.6 billion
contribution to the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) National
Indigenous Reform Agenda which is committed to achieving ‘closing the gap’
targets in all jurisdictions. Specifically, the COAG National Partnership
Agreements are focussed on remote housing, health outcomes, early childhood
development, economic participation and remote service delivery.[1]
The Rudd Government continues the previous Government’s
focus on achieving outcomes through ‘practical measures’. However, the Government
has significantly shifted the policy agenda to include a more rights based
context beginning with the National Apology in February 2008; the statement of
support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
in April 2009; a commitment to introduce legislation in the Spring sittings of
Parliament to lift the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975; and a commitment to establishing a National Indigenous Representative Body.[2]
Budget measures
The $1.3 billion in budget measures funded
from all portfolios are classed in four broad categories: economic
participation, a focus on remote Australia, Closing the Gap in the Northern
Territory and resetting the relationship with Indigenous Australians.[3]
Economic participation
The budget measures include a total of $310 million to support Indigenous employment; including $202.4 million in expenditure
over five years funded from savings in Community Development Employment
Projects program (CDEP) changes. This measure includes the abolition of CDEP in
non-remote areas with established economies from July 1 2009. In
communities with limited and emerging economies, CDEP will be restructured into
a ‘Work Readiness Service’ stream that will provide a personal development
pathway for jobseekers and offer employers wage subsidies to take them on, and
a ‘Community Development’ stream funding projects to help people develop skills
and communities build local capacity.
Savings from the CDEP program reform will also provide $203.1
million over three years to ensure the sustainability of more than 1600 jobs created
in the Northern Territory; $190.6 million over five years to reform and expand
the Indigenous Employment Program
(IEP); $53.6 million over four years for a new Indigenous
remote workforce strategy; and, $21.6
million over four years for the Workplace English Language Literacy program to
support reforms of the IEP.
A focus on remote Australia
This category includes a total expenditure of $89.1 million,
mostly in health measures, including:
- $58.3 million over four years to improve eye and ear health
services for Indigenous Australians, particularly in rural and remote areas,
intended to help the 20 000 Indigenous children who suffer from middle-ear
infections severe enough to cause hearing loss. The funding will provide at
least 1000 extra operations to correct eye and ear problems, and allow more
than 10 regional teams to help prevent cases of middle-ear infection in the
Northern Territory
- $11 million over four years to improve access to dental care
services in priority areas. The Government says this is to address the
‘significantly worse’ oral health of Indigenous people. Mobile dental
facilities will be tested in a trial program to deliver dental services to
rural Indigenous communities. Indigenous people are generally 20 per cent less
likely to visit a dentist and this gap widens if people are living outside
capital cities and
- $3.8 million over four years to improve pathology services for
Indigenous patients.[4]
Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory
As noted above, a total
of $807.4 million over three years has been committed to continue Closing the
Gap in the Northern Territory measures.[5] This includes a commitment of $34.6 million over three years to facilitate greater
engagement with Indigenous leadership, increased communications with
communities, and consultation prior to lifting the suspension of the operation
of the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA).[6]
The Government has
released a discussion paper outlining its proposals for changing or improving
the initiatives introduced under the NTER so that they conform with the RDA.[7] Consultation on these proposals will inform new legislation to be introduced in
October 2009. The discussion paper suggests a number of options for change
including:
- individuals being able to apply for an exemption from income
management based on their family situation, financial abilities or record of
behaviour
- new licensing assessments for community stores
- amended legislation in relation to the five-year leases over
Indigenous communities in the NT to clarify the purpose and operation of the
leases, and
- allowing for community input and individual requests to be
assessed in determining whether bans on alcohol and pornography should continue
(as opposed to blanket bans).
Budget expenditure on
Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory measures includes:
- $156.6 million over three years to continue law and order
activities, such as funding 60 Northern Territory police officers to replace
Federal Police officers deployed under the initial NTER, five permanent and ten
temporary police stations, as well as activities supporting alcohol and
pornography restrictions
- $131 million over three years to improve primary care services in
remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. The funding provides
for follow-up treatments of children for ear, nose and throat conditions and
dental problems identified through NTER; for the continuation of the Remote
Area Health Corps which provides doctors, nurses and other health workers in
remote areas; and the expansion of the existing outreach service that sends
teams to treat children injured in abuse-related circumstances
- $105.9 million, primarily in 2009–10, to continue income
management and financial advice to income support recipients
- $84.1 million to continue field operations, especially the
presence of Government Business Managers and interpreter services
- $80.2 million over three years to continue 81 night patrol
services
- $45.7 million over three years to continue and expand education
initiatives
- $37.5 million over three years towards the continuation of the
School Nutrition Program
- $32.9 million over three years to continue family support
services that include a mobile child protection team and the operation of safe
houses
- $28.4 million over three years for youth diversionary services
- $18.3 million over three years to continue maintaining and
improving community stores
- $11.2 million towards additional houses for teachers in
Indigenous communities
- $11 million over three years to continue whole-of-government
co-ordination and program management and evaluation
- $10 million for a Local Priorities fund and
- $9.1 million over three years to fund eight new crèches.[8]
Resetting the relationship with Indigenous Australians
This category includes $64.2 million in expenditure aimed at
advancing what the Government describes as its ‘determination to forge a new
relationship with Indigenous Australians based on trust and respect’.[9] This includes:
- $26.6 million over four year for an Indigenous Healing Foundation
to help members of the Stolen Generation suffering trauma
- $13.8 million over four years to help members of the Stolen
Generation find families and communities
- $13 million over four years for the Indigenous Electoral
Education Program to improve Indigenous participation in the electoral system
and
- $10.8 million to Reconciliation Australia for education and
awareness programs.
Commentary
The Budget has won praise from stakeholders and commentators
for its record level of funding commitments in Indigenous affairs with
criticism focused primarily on the targeting of different measures and remaining
funding shortfalls.[10] A key focus of responses to the Budget related to the continuing need for more
funding to address Indigenous health issues. Social Justice Commissioner, Tom
Calma, stated that the ‘sheer amount of resources needed by the NT alone
highlights the fact that significant investment in Indigenous health across the
country is still needed if health equality is to be achieved by 2030’.[11] Budget responses also called for greater participation by Indigenous community
leaders in the design and implementation of programs.[12]
[1]. Australian Government, Budget
statements 2009–10: closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2009,
pp. 7–10 and Appendix B, pp. 41–42, viewed 19 May 2009,
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/publicationsarticles
/ corp/BudgetPAES/budget09_10/
indigenous/Documents/ClosingTheGap/closingthegap.pdf
For a listing of measures by portfolio see Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), ‘2009–10 Indigenous budget
at a glance’, FaHCSIA website, viewed 20 May 2009,
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/publicationsarticles/corp/BudgetPAES/
budget09_10/indigenous/Pages/IndigenousBudgetataGlance.aspx
[2]. J Macklin (Minister for
Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs), Re-setting
the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, media
release, Canberra, 12 May 2009, viewed 20 May 2009,
http://www.jennymacklin.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/jennymacklin.nsf/
content/reset_relationship_12may2009.htm and Australian Government, pp. 29–32.
[3]. Australian Government, pp.
35–40.
[4]. N Roxon (Minister for Health
and Ageing) and J Macklin (Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs), Over $200 million for closing the gap in Indigenous
health, media release, 12 May 2009, viewed 16 May 2009,
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/
publishing.nsf/Content/budget2009-hmedia10.htm
[5]. J Macklin, (Minister for
Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs), Closing the gap
in the Northern Territory, media release, 12 May 2009, viewed 16 May 2009,
http://www.jennymacklin.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/
jennymacklin.nsf/
content/closing_gap_nt_12may2009.htm
[6]. Australian Government, p.
32.
[7]. Department of Families,
Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), Future
directions for the Northern Territory Emergency Response—discussion
paper, FaHCSIA, Canberra, 2009, viewed 21 May 2009,
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/progserv/
ntresponse/
future_directions/Documents/discussion_paper_5.pdf
[8]. J Macklin, Closing the gap
in the Northern Territory.
[9]. J Macklin, Re-setting the
relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
[10]. See, for example, C Graham, ‘A
gap stalling budget’, National Indigenous Times, 13 May 2009, viewed 20
May 2009,
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=17769
[11]. Australian Human Rights Commission, Budget initiatives welcomed but real engagement crucial, media release,
13 May 2009, viewed 20 May 2009,
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/
about/media/media_releases/2009/35_09.html
[12]. Reconciliation Australia, Good
budget but more indigenous participation needed, media release, 12 May
2009, viewed 20 May 2009,
http://www.reconciliation.org.au/home/media/media-releases
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