In outlining its plans for the year ahead, the budget documents give the clearest indicator yet of the government’s First Nations policy priorities after the resounding defeat of the Indigenous Voice referendum last year.
Indigenous Voices and Truth-Telling
$20 million dollars that was previously set aside to create local and regional Indigenous Voice bodies has officially been slashed.
Saying the decision is in line with the outcome of October’s referendum, the budget papers confirm the funding will be redirected elsewhere in the Indigenous Affairs portfolio.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has also told SBS and NITV that funding for a proposed Makarrata Commission, which would have overseen truth-telling and treaty-making processes, has been reallocated to Closing the Gap measures.
Jobs and Housing
The two main cash splashes for mob in the budget – a new program to create jobs in remote areas and a multi-billion-dollar NT housing investment – were already announced by the government earlier this year.
$774 million dollars has been allocated over the next five years for the new Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, aimed at creating 3,000 jobs over the next three years.
After this, a further $255.5 million dollars will be spent on maintaining the program on an annual basis.
$188.7 million dollars of that overall funding will be spent on creating a Community Jobs and Business Fund over the next four years. The fund would aim to create employment opportunities in remote communities.
The government has also confirmed it will spend $45.5 million dollars over the next three years to extend provider arrangements for the controversial Community Development Program, although it is expected to be replaced by a new program in June 2025.
The budget also breaks down the $4 billion joint federal and Northern Territory government plan to reduce overcrowding in NT homelands by building 270 new homes a year.
The federal government is planning to spend $839.4 million dollars over the next five years to ramp up housing delivery in communities, with $2.1 billion planned in total over the decade. This will be matched by the NT government.
$120 million dollars of that will go towards urgent repairs of existing homes.
However, most of this will come from the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s existing funding, meaning there is only about $341 million dollars in new money set aside over the next five years.
Health
While jobs and housing were the main budget priorities, there were still several health measures funded in the Indigenous affairs space.
In an effort to make period products more accessible, $12.5 million dollars has been given to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to distribute free products in remote communities ,where they can often be unaffordable or unavailable.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Youth Connection to Culture program, a mental health program which runs in 12 communities, has been extended with a $12.8 million dollars funding boost over the next four years.
The program aims to reduce suicide rates and improve mental health outcomes.
Education, language and culture
The government has committed to creating two new First Nations language centres and increasing funding for existing language centres with a $53.8 million dollars injection over the next four years.
$110 million dollars has also been set aside for Closing the Gap efforts in the education space, much of which is going towards extending existing program funding.
However, $18.2 million dollars will be spent developing a new First Nations education policy, and a further $2.4 million dollars will go towards creating a strategy aimed at attracting and retaining Indigenous teachers.
Justice
$76.2 million dollars will be spent on a new First Nations employment program for prisoners, to help them readjust to work outside jail.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s department will spend $11.7 million over the next two years to extend the pilot of a culturally safe family dispute resolution program.
It will also put $20.2 million towards the Federal Court and The National Native Title Tribunal over the next four years, to help them preserve significant native title records and work through a backlog of native title claims.
