The Building Blocks — Action to Close the Gap (Continued)
Closing the Gap: Community Safety
All Indigenous people should be able to live without violence and fear. Without safe and stable communities, investment in areas such as housing and education will fail to make a difference.
The National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments on 30 April 2009 and the National Indigenous Law and Justice Framework was endorsed by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General in November 2009.
In the Northern Territory the Australian Government has put in place over 60 extra police and 18 police stations, night patrol services in 80 communities, 21 safe places in 17 communities, child protection workers and violence counselling services, as well as widespread bans on alcohol and pornography. Projects for young people seek to divert them from the justice system, reduce antisocial behaviour and combat substance abuse.
Permanent police complexes will be established in three communities in 2010‑11 and two further communities in 2011‑12. Police numbers will be maintained. This Budget funds the continued deployment of Australian Federal Police (AFP) pending full transfer to the Northern Territory Police.
Under the Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory National Partnership Agreement, the Commonwealth and Northern Territory Governments agreed to a staged approach to the withdrawal of AFP officers and their replacement by Northern Territory Police officers. This transition will take place over two years to support and maintain policing while the Northern Territory Police increases its capability to police remote communities.
Specialist units have also been set up, including the cross-border operations of the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desks and related dog operation units to which the Australian Government provided $2.0 million in 2009‑10. In 2009 the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk operation resulted in 347 charges laid, and the seizure of large quantities of illegal alcohol, cannabis and kava. This Budget continues funding for the national intelligence gathering operations overseen by the Australian Crime Commission.
The Government has expanded the whole of government Petrol Sniffing Strategy, currently being delivered in the remote cross-border regions of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, the Kimberley and Mornington Island. The Strategy has a number of aspects, including roll out of non-sniffable Opal fuel and youth diversionary programs. This Budget expands availability of Opal fuel to reduce the disruption caused by petrol sniffing and its devastating impacts on individuals and communities.
Budget measure: Improving Access to Justice
The Government will provide an additional $34.9 million over four years in the 2010‑11 Budget for the Indigenous legal aid services program as part of its broader access to justice package to provide additional funding for legal assistance services to improve access to justice in the community.
This funding will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services across Australia in delivering high quality and culturally sensitive legal aid services in criminal, civil and family law. The additional funding will assist in meeting increasing demand for these services and improve access to justice for Indigenous Australians across Australia.
Budget measure: Northern Territory policing presence — staged transition
The Budget provides $9.2 million over two years from 2010-11 to continue deployment of AFP officers to remote communities in the Northern Territory. There are currently more than 60 additional police officers in the Northern Territory, as part of the extended police presence provided through the Northern Territory Emergency Response. Their job is to help ensure community safety and protect children. Some officers are also deployed to a joint Northern Territory Police/AFP child abuse taskforce.
The Australian Government has agreed on a staged transition of responsibility for the provision of police services to the Northern Territory Government, as part of the Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory National Partnership Agreement. The AFP officers will be gradually replaced by Northern Territory Police as they are trained and deployed.
Budget measure: National Indigenous Violence and Child Abuse Intelligence Task Force - continuation
The Budget continues funding for the National Indigenous Violence and Child Abuse Intelligence Task Force, operated by the Australian Crime Commission.
Since 2006 the taskforce has been gathering a national picture of the nature and extent of serious crime across remote Indigenous Australia, including drug trafficking, fraud, violence and child abuse. The initiative is identifying and addressing the systemic causes of crime against these communities and assisting women, children and other vulnerable groups.
The additional funding of $6.6 million over two years will enable the Australian Crime Commission to consolidate its intelligence holdings, support the establishment of cross-border intelligence units, and transition some of its capabilities and activities to other agencies.
Budget measure: Combating petrol sniffing - expanding the supply and uptake of Opal fuel
The Budget provides $38.5 million over four years from 2010‑11 to increase supply of Opal fuel, which has very low levels of the volatile compounds believed to cause the effects associated with petrol sniffing.
The measure will expand storage and distribution to meet community demand in northern Australia. New Opal storage facilities will be established in Darwin and northern Queensland by 2012‑13.
The expanded roll out of Opal will help to reduce the incidence and impact of petrol sniffing in 11regional and remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, improving the quality of life and health in these communities.
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