THE HON WARREN SNOWDON MP
Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery
Member for Lingiari
11 May 2010
The Rudd Government is building on its commitment to close the gap in life expectancy and life opportunities for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.
The Minister for Indigenous Health and Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon MP says ‘the 2010-11 Budget provides targeted investment to strengthen Aboriginal communities’.
This year’s Federal Budget focuses on making sure that programs are implemented and services are delivered in a real and sustainable way to meet the specific needs of Indigenous communities.
Among the new initiatives announced that will benefit Aboriginal communities in the NT are:
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$9.2 million over two years to support the Australian Federal Police while new Northern Territory Policy are trained and deployed.
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$6.6 million over two years for the National Indigenous Child Abuse and Violence Intelligence Task Force to continue to investigate patterns for violence, serious crime and abuse of power and trust in remote Indigenous communities.
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$38.5 million over four years for expanding the roll out of Opal fuel to reduce petrol sniffing in Indigenous communities across WA, NT and QLD. New storage facilities will be established in Darwin and ready for use by 2012-13.
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$59.4 million over four years to improve the quality of infrastructure, governance and workforce in 142 Budget Based Funded (BBF) child care services in regional and remote Australia. 48 are based in the Northern Territory.
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$46 million into a Remote Service Delivery Funding Pool to ensure flexible delivery of programs in the 29 priority communities including: Angurugu, Galiwinku, Gapuwiyah, Gunbalanya, Ntaria (Hermannsburg), Lajamanu, Maningrida, Milingimbi, Nguiu, Ngukurr, Numbulwar, Wadeye, Yirrkala, Yuendumu and Umbakumba.
Other initiatives include:
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Extension of the Business Skills for Visual Artists program in remote communities
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Flexible funding pool to improve education and school readiness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
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Capital injection to Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL) to undertake essential repairs to hostels.
Media Contact: Alice Plate 040 004 5999