Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Alice Springs Transformation Plan
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 25.0 | - | - | - | - |
The Government provided $25.0 million in funding to the Northern Territory Government in 2008‑09 for social support services for Aboriginal residents and visitors in Alice Springs, particularly in town camps. This funding will:
- expand alcohol rehabilitation, family support and family violence services, and early childhood facilities;
- improve mainstream tenancy management services, including 'good neighbour' agreement initiatives, life skills training and intensive case management; and
- enhance early intervention programs to vulnerable families by providing additional funding for the Communities for Children program.
Further information can be found in the press release of 2 May 2009 issued by the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment — Queensland and New South Wales floods May 2009
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 8.0 | 6.1 | - | - | - |
The Government is providing $14.2 million over two years to assist people adversely affected by the floods in Queensland and New South Wales which began in May 2009.
Payments of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child were made available to people who, as a direct result of the flooding, were adversely affected. This includes people who were seriously injured, have lost an immediate family member, or were the carer of a dependent child who was adversely affected, and people whose principal place of residence sustained major damage or was destroyed.
Further information can be found in the joint press release of 25 May 2009 issued by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and the Attorney‑General.
Community Investment Program — reduction
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | - | -2.8 | - | - | - |
The Government will reduce expenditure on the Community Investment Program by $2.8 million in 2009‑10. Funding of $68.3 million in 2009‑10 will remain available for this program, with a total of $276.9 million available over the forward estimates period.
The Community Investment Program provides grants to community organisations to undertake local community projects.
Office for Remote Indigenous Housing — establishment
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | - | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $11.7 million over four years to establish an Office for Remote Indigenous Housing within the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The Office will provide policy advice and work with State and Territory governments to oversee the implementation of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing.
The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Secure and Sustainable Pensions — public information campaign
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | - | 2.8 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $2.8 million for an information campaign to ensure that pensioners and those actively planning for retirement are informed of the September 2009 changes made to the pension system as part of the 2009‑10 Budget Secure and Sustainable Pensions package. The pension package contains significant changes for Australia's pensioners and those approaching retirement, including pension increases, changes to the rate at which support is withdrawn as income rises, establishment of a new Work Bonus to encourage and reward workforce participation, and an increase in the Age Pension age, commencing in 2017.
This measure complements the direct mail campaign that was undertaken by Centrelink and the Department of Veterans' Affairs in September 2009, by also providing information to those currently approaching the Age Pension age and those first to be affected by the change in Age Pension age from 65 to 67 (those currently aged 52 to 54). The information campaign will be provided via press, radio and the Internet.
Social Security Agreement — Australia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrelink | - | - | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | - | - | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Australian Taxation Office | - | - | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Total | - | - | 3.4 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
The Government will provide $5.6 million over three years to extend the current network of reciprocal social security agreements to include the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
This agreement will commence on 1 January 2011 and will improve access to the Age Pension for people who have spent part of their working life in both Australia and the FYROM. Australia and the FYROM will share responsibility for the pension, each paying a portion of their pension based on relevant eligibility criteria and the period of residence or insurance that recipients have accrued in each country.
These arrangements also deal with 'double coverage' of superannuation where employees are seconded to work overseas. To avoid superannuation being paid by employers in both jurisdictions, the agreement clarifies that the obligation will only apply in the employee's home country.
Further information can be found in the joint press release of 26 October 2009 issued by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Victorian Fires Income Recovery Subsidy — extension
| 2008‑09 | 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | - | 2.0 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $3.7 million in 2009‑10 to extend the Victorian Fires Income Recovery Subsidy by a further 13 weeks to 10 November 2009. This funding will be partially offset by redirecting $1.7 million from funding previously provided for income recovery payments that was not required.
The Victorian Fires Income Recovery Subsidy is an ex‑gratia payment up to the maximum rate of Newstart Allowance, available to employees, small business owners and farmers who lost their income as a direct result of the bushfires that began in late January 2009. This measure extends the 26 weeks of income support previously provided to support those adversely affected by the bushfires.
Further information can be found in the joint press release of 7 August 2009 issued by the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction.
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