2022–23 Budget benefits Indigenous Australians across the board

Media release - Minister Wyatt

The Morrison Government is taking a holistic approach to improve the life outcomes of Indigenous Australians, with spending across portfolios as part of a whole-of-government commitment to Closing the Gap.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said the 2022–23 Budget has delivered a broad range of Indigenous specific measures across health, education, employment, safety and justice, culture and heritage.

“When we outlined the Priority Reforms of Closing the Gap, we set our expectation for all Commonwealth Departments and Agencies to make progress against each of the 17 socio-economic targets,” Minister Wyatt said.

“The 2022–23 Budget puts this intent into action, with more than $1.5 billion of additional funding to prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s economic recovery and continue progress on Closing the Gap.

“This is in addition to the already substantial commitments we make every year and the more than $1 billion delivered by the Morrison Government last August for the Commonwealth’s Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.

“Indigenous Australians will also benefit from the immediate cost of living relief, long-term economic plan that creates more jobs, record investments in essential services and stronger defence and national security initiatives that were outlined in the Budget as part of the Morrison Government’s plan for a stronger future.”

Across the 2022–23 Budget, specific measures that will benefit Indigenous Australians include:

Health

• $4.6 billion over four years for Indigenous health programs to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people better access to high-quality, comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary health care.
• $43.3 million to extend the targeted support for health and vaccination services in rural and remote Indigenous communities at risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
• $42.7 million will be invested into mental health and suicide prevention support and services across the Northern Territory over the next five years.
• $16.2 million in direct funding for the states and territories to improve the health of Indigenous Australians, including supplementing primary health care, addressing viruses and infections in the Torres Strait, improving trachoma control services, and programs that register and control acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.
• $13.9 million to expand the number of health scholarships offered under the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme by up to 300 additional places for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• $8.6 million over three years will establish the National Closing the Gap Policy Partnership on social and emotional wellbeing. This will maintain momentum in reducing the devastating and disproportionate impact of mental ill-health and suicide on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families and communities.
• $8.5 million to continue the Red Dust Program which delivers culturally appropriate programs for men and women in the Northern Territory with a focus on social and emotional wellbeing, sexual health relationships, alcohol and other drugs and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
• $5.9 million to support Indigenous and CALD communities catch up on missed health screening.
• A $224.4 million package to improve access to health services and support doctors delivering primary care in rural and remote Australia. This includes increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people training and joining the health workforce, new rural health departments at universities and guaranteeing rescue services and emergency aeromedical services through the Royal Flying Doctor Service, CareFlight and Little Wings.
• $2.4 million specifically for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations to deliver culturally appropriate, locally-designed mental health services in flood impacted communities.
• $2.1 million to extend the National Sepsis Program and to undertake a national review of the impact of sepsis on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Business and employment

• $636.4 million over six years to more than double the Indigenous Ranger Program, delivering an estimated 2,000 additional jobs (1,089 FTE) and skill development in regional and remote Australia, while bolstering disaster resilience and recovery, and delivering environmental outcomes for all Australians.
• $37.5 million to strengthen Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs), supporting a co-design process to help the native title sector partner with industry and look at reforms to transition the sector from a focus on native title claims to a post-determination era focused on economically activating Indigenous land.
• $21.9 million over four years to mentor the next generation of Indigenous leaders, improving their skills to lead and effectively govern organisations in private, community and public sectors.
• $98 million for Community Development Program (CDP) providers to extend support to more jobseekers.
• $11.5 million will extend the pilots of the Remote Engagement Program to ensure options for the CDP replacement is thoroughly tested and backed by evidence as well as funding projects agreed through the CDP Class Action settlement.
• $3.2 million to extend the Time to Work Employment Services program for 12 months to provide pre-employment services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners.
• A $2 billion increase in funding for the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility will help grow the economy across Northern Australian and promote Indigenous employment.

Education

• $29.4 million will extend the Indigenous Boarding Schools Grants program for one year and establish a Commonwealth Regional Scholarship Program to assist families with the costs of boarding.
• $6.3 million will go towards constructing a new boarding facility in Tennant Creek, under the Barkly Regional Deal, to provide a safe environment for vulnerable students to attend school.

Culture and Heritage

• $11 million will modernise the Indigenous heritage protection process, reducing the backlog of applications, ensuring timely decision making, and delivering a national standard for Indigenous engagement and participation in heritage decisions.
• As announced in January, $316.5 million will establish Ngurra: The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct. Further to the announcement in January, $2.6 million will honour and celebrate outstanding Indigenous Australians in a place of prominence with statues in the Parliamentary Triangle.

Community safety

• $27.8 million over two years will go towards Indigenous-specific initiatives to reduce all forms of family, domestic and sexual violence against women and children, including actions around prevention, early intervention, response and recovery.
• At-risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people will be a focus of the $30 million going towards the implementation of the National Framework for protecting Australia’s Children and the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Their Children. This includes the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Support and the appointment of a National Advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People.
• $2 million to expand the youth engagement program in the Kimberly and Pilbara regions as part of Western Australia’s broader Kimberly Juvenile Justice Strategy. It will support young people to meet the conditions of their bail and court orders, reduce offending behaviour and recidivism, as well as improving young people’s wellbeing and future prospects.
• $1.9 million to extend Custody Notification Services in Western Australia and Northern Territory for another year and to fund a national evaluation.

Strengthening communities

• $31.8 million to commence work with jurisdictions and regions towards establishing Local and Regional Voices.
• $173.2 million to extend the current National Partnership on Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment (NTRAI) for a further two years.
• $3 million to support Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) to provide advice to inform the Australian Government on future investment in remote Northern Territory.
• $7.7 million for Indigenous Business Australia to extend their Indigenous Home Ownership Program, supporting approximately 1,600 families secure or build their first home.

“These measures will help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people access better healthcare, stay safe, thrive in schooling and higher education and move into the expanding job market, to achieve better life outcomes and a stronger future.”