Compendium of Priorities and Initiatives (Continued)
Attorney-General
Territories
The Australian Government continues to foster good governance in Australia's territories through the maintenance and improvement of laws and service delivery. The territories are assisted to manage their own futures through the provision of services and advice on ongoing administration. The Department delivers services, provides funding support and undertakes capital works with the objective of ensuring territory communities enjoy the same level of services as equivalent state communities. In 2010‑11 support to the Indian Ocean Territories through the ongoing program is $79.2 million and $4.9 million to the Jervis Bay Territory for 2010‑11. Funding of $35.5 million over four years has been committed to refurbish the runway that services the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, supporting tourism and the delivery of essential services on the island.
Christmas Island
The Government is providing $47.3 million over four years for additional infrastructure including housing and waste management and additional services including teachers, medical staff and police officers. This funding is in addition to the $50 million Christmas Island infrastructure package announced by the Government last year.
In addition, the Government is providing $11.2 million over three years for the Department to consolidate and rationalise Whole of Government ICT data communication equipment and satellite facilities on Christmas Island, to improve service delivery capability.
Australia's Northern Waters
Securing Borders against Illegal Foreign Fishing — Northern Waters. This proposal provides $163.2 million to continue efforts to deter illegal foreign fishing in Australia's northern waters.
Social Inclusion
Improving Access to Justice — Legal Assistance Priorities.
The Government is committed to enhancing access to justice for all Australians, including Australians who live in rural and regional areas. The Government is providing an additional $154 million funding over four years to enhance access to justice for disadvantaged and vulnerable Australians through increased funding for legal aid commissions, community legal centres and Indigenous legal services. This funding will help to increase the availability of legal assistance generally, and will provide particular support for service providers in regional Australia.
The investment takes total funding for legal assistance services from the Commonwealth to $1.3 billion over four years, and is provided to the following programs:
Legal Aid
The new funding brings total Commonwealth funding for legal aid to $194.2 million in 2010‑11. Legal aid commissions maintain locations in regional Australia and also provide a range of 'outreach' services for those unable to access main offices.
$1.5 million is also being provided under the Regional Innovations Program for Legal Services, an initiative specifically designed to assist legal aid commissions maintain legal aid services in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Community Legal Centres
The new funding brings total Commonwealth funding for community legal centres to $31.5 million in 2010‑11 to support community legal centres across Australia (including Centres that are based in or provide services to rural and regional areas).
Indigenous Legal Aid and Policy Reform
The new funding brings total Commonwealth funding for Indigenous Legal Aid to $63.7 million in 2010‑11. The Legal Aid for Indigenous Australians Program provides culturally sensitive and accessible legal aid and related services — often in rural and remote areas.
Family Violence Prevention Legal Services
The Government has committed $19.5 million in 2010‑11 to 31 Family Violence Prevention Legal Services in identified high need rural, regional and remote areas, which provide primarily legal and other associated services to victims and survivors of family violence.
Indigenous Justice Program
The Government has allocated $13.2 million in 2010‑11 to the Indigenous Justice Program for projects—many of which are in rural and remote areas—to support Indigenous Australians and reduce adverse contact with the criminal justice system.
Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory — Law and Order measures
In 2010‑11, $29.1 million in funding will be distributed under the Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory comprising law and order measures for night patrol services, legal assistance services, interpreter services and the Northern Territory Welfare Rights Outreach Project.
Native Title
The native title system will receive an additional $10.6 million in the 2010‑11 financial year, as part of the $50.1 million in new money committed by the Government in the 2009‑10 Budget to improve the native title system. Overall, the additional funding will help build a more efficient native title system that delivers sustainable, long-term outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Australian Human Rights Framework
The Government will provide funding of $2 million over the next four years to non-government organisations for the development and delivery of human rights education and engagement programs for the community. The Government will also provide an additional $6.6 million over four years to the Australian Human Rights Commission to enable it to expand its community education role and to provide information and support for human rights education programs.
The Government will work in partnership with community organisations and the Australian Human Rights Commission to make sure education and information is available right across the community.
Further information
Further information about these and other initiatives relating to rural and regional Australia is available at www.ag.gov.au.
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