In this Budget, the Government has introduced further initiatives to provide support to families in regional Australia.
In 1996-97, the Government will provide around $123.3 million through the Drought Relief Payment (DRP) for farm family income support with a further $21.1 million expected to be provided in 1997-98. DRP assistance will help provide basic necessities to farm families whose incomes have been severely reduced by drought. The Government has also extended the recovery period following the end of drought exceptional circumstances during which the DRP continues to be available to 12 months.
In November 1996, concessions to means tests under AUSTUDY, ABSTUDY and the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) scheme were extended for farming families living in exceptional circumstances drought affected areas. This extension provided additional concessions for drought affected families to those concessions announced as part of the former Government's drought relief package.
In the Budget, the Government decided to increase the AUSTUDY parental income test dependant deduction for families with more than two tertiary students who need to undertake study away from home from $3,700 to $7,400 per child. Students who currently get AUSTUDY may receive up to $925 a year more. Some students who currently do not receive AUSTUDY because their parental income exceeds the current cut out point for AUSTUDY will qualify under the new concession. These initiatives were specifically designed to meet the needs of larger families in rural areas.
The Government is piloting Family Service Centres in fourteen locations across Australia. The Centres will make it easier for families to access payments and services provided by the Commonwealth, State and local governments and community agencies in surroundings suitable for families with children.
Four of the Family Service Centres are located in rural or semi-rural areas. These are:
Older Australians will receive more assistance to live in their own communities. This Budget includes the following initiatives for Aged Care Facilities and Multi-Purpose Services:
For too long, regional Australia has suffered from a shortage of childcare facilities. A National Planning System for the Commonwealth Childcare Programme will ensure that services are established in areas of need. Funding has been provided to enable community centres and more Outside School Hours Care services to target family needs that are not being met by private providers, particularly in rural and regional Australia.
Family Day Care will be expanded to target rural needs, with an additional 2500 places in the period 1997-98 to 2000-01.
School aged care reforms will improve affordability for low and middle income families while retaining benefits for those already in the system.
A 20 hour limit on access to Childcare Assistance for non-work related care will target subsidies to the programme's primary objective of work-related care. Exemptions will support the needs of children at risk and families in crisis, with a limited number of services being exempt to ensure that families, particularly in rural and remote areas, do not lose access to care.
