Future Directions for the NTER - Discussion Paper 

The NTER has brought significant additional funding and government effort to the Northern Territory’s Indigenous communities. It is clear that this has resulted in important improvements:

• community stores have been licensed to ensure they provide a better range of healthy food.
• Four new stores have been set up, in Yuendumu, Epenarra, Ti-Tree and Manyallaluk.
• School nutrition programs have been set up in 69 communities providing breakfast and lunch to school-aged children. These programs are encouraging children to go to school, providing better nutrition, and employing around 130 local Aboriginal people.
• Five new crèche facilities have been established and six existing crèches have been upgraded.
• More than 13,000 child health checks have been completed, with over 2,500 children receiving follow-up hearing services and over 2,100 receiving follow-up dental services.
• Up to 66 extra police are now working in remote communities to help make communities safer.
• Four permanent police stations have been upgraded and 18 temporary stations set up.
• Sixty-nine active community-run night patrols have been set up.
• There are 13 new safe houses to provide protection from violent situations.
• A mobile child protection team is working across the Territory.
• New Remote Aboriginal Family and Community Workers are on the ground in eight communities.
• More than 15,000 people are subject to income management. This means half of people’s Centrelink money (and all of most advances and lump sum payments, and Baby Bonus) can be spent only on essential items and expenses. During the first 20 months of income management, 71 per cent of income managed money was allocated towards food.
• Around 2000 new jobs have been funded in government service delivery. Much of this work was previously done by people on CDEP. The new jobs provide award wages, superannuation and access to training and professional development.
• Sixty Government Business Managers (GBMs) are serving 73 remote communities as well as town camps in Darwin, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. GBMs help government to work better with communities; and
• 20 Indigenous Engagement Officers have been appointed to support GBMs and to help government talk with local communities.

These measures are backed by a lot of extra government funding in areas such as health services, education, policing and community safety.

The different measures work together to deliver wider benefits. For example, the extra police and the alcohol restrictions are helping to make communities safer. Income management combined with licensing of community stores has improved the range and quality of food available in communities. These initiatives, combined with school nutrition programs and child health checks, are improving the health of children. The NTER Review Board found that GBMs are helping communities to get better access to government services.

It is recognised that a great deal more needs to be done, and that levels of family violence, alcohol and drug abuse, economic participation, education and health remain critically dire.

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Improvements already made to the NTER

The Government has already taken action to improve the NTER.

People on income management will be able to appeal against administrative decisions, as a result of legislation now in Parliament.

Last year, the Government moved to reinstate the requirement for permits in prescribed areas that was removed previously by the NTER laws. The Government’s legislation was defeated in the Senate. The permit system continues to operate over the majority of Aboriginal owned land in the NT.

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Other Government work in the Northern Territory

The Australian Government is working with the Northern Territory Government to reduce overcrowding in communities and help make people’s houses safer and healthier. Around $1.7 billion over 10 years will help to meet the urgent need for better housing and infrastructure in remote Northern Territory communities.

So far Aboriginal land owners in the Northern Territory have agreed to leases in nine communities. These include Angurugu, Umbakumba, Milyakburra, Nguiu, Maningrida, Galiwin’ku, Gunbalanya, Wadeye and the Tennant Creek town camps. The finalisation of leases is followed by detailed consultation on the design and location of housing.

These nine communities cover more than a 1000 existing houses, most of which will receive upgrades as part of the construction program. There will also be as many as 200 new houses depending on the outcome of the community consultations.

The Government also reversed the previous Government’s decision to abolish CDEP in 25 NTER communities and five towns and reformed CDEP across Australia.

The new CDEP will start in most remote Northern Territory communities from 1 July 2009. It will help people to get a job by providing more training for work and work experience. It will also help to back community projects that strengthen the community overall.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) – made up of all the State/Territory governments as well as the Australian Government – has recently agreed to a new way for governments to work together to improve services in remote Indigenous communities. This is spelt out in the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery. This approach is being rolled out in 15 priority locations in the Northern Territory. Governments will work much more closely with people living in communities to plan and deliver better services.

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Re-setting the relationship

The Australian Government is committed to a more respectful and supportive relationship with Indigenous Australians. This is part of the Government’s wider strategy to Close the Gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

In February 2008 the Prime Minister made a National Apology to Australia’s Indigenous People, and in particular the Stolen Generations.

Earlier this year, the Government indicated our support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

We have progressed our commitment to establish a national Indigenous representative body, by engaging the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, to conduct further consultations and present a preferred model to government by the end of July.

The Australian Government is working through COAG to make Indigenous programs and services more effective and coordinated. All Australian Governments are committed to meeting the national targets to Close the Gap.

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Budget 2009-10 – Making the NTER sustainable

The 2009 Budget, announced on 12 May, provides additional funding to continue the NTER. With this funding the Government wants to move towards a sustainable-development phase, so we can build on improvements already made and make those benefits last.