Compendium of Priorities and Initiatives (Continued)
Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Australian Disability Enterprises
Australian Disability Enterprises are commercial businesses that provide employment opportunities for people with disability. Across Australia, there are 330 ADEs that collectively employ about 20,000 people with disability.
There are 178 ADE outlets (54 per cent) in regional and remote parts of Australia, employing around 6,000 people with disability. ADEs contribute significantly to the local economy and are an active part of the community.
Volunteer Grants
The Volunteer Grants Program recognises the valuable work of Australia's volunteers and is part of the Australian Government's ongoing commitment to supporting volunteers and encouraging volunteering in local communities. In 2009, more than 3,997 organisations in rural and regional Australia shared in a total of $12.4 million in volunteer grants.
Funding is available to not‑for‑profit organisations to purchase small equipment to help existing volunteers and to encourage more people to become volunteers. Organisations are also able to request funding to contribute towards reimbursement of their volunteers for fuel costs incurred in their volunteering work such as those who use their cars to transport others to activities, deliver food and assist people in need.
For the first time, Volunteer Grants 2010 also allowed organisations to apply for funding for training for volunteers such as first aid or leadership development training.
Mental Health - Targeted Community Care Program
Through its Targeted Community Care Program, FaHCSIA delivers three community mental health initiatives, implemented as part of the COAG National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011. In 2010‑11 these initiatives will receive total funding of $139.7 million:
- Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) services providing practical support for people with severe mental illness to help them to overcome social isolation and increase their connections to their community. There are 51 PHaMs services in rural and regional locations, and nine specialist remote services focussing on the needs of Indigenous Australians;
- Mental Health Respite for carers of a person with a severe mental illness and/or intellectual disability; and
- Mental Health Community Based Projects to assist families, carers, children and young people affected by mental illness.
The initiatives are designed to assist people with a mental illness to recover and participate more fully in social and community life. They recognise that a strong, supportive family environment is integral to an individual's recovery and also that carers and families have needs of their own associated with their caring and support role.
Helping Children with Autism
The Australian Government's Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) package provides support and services to children with autism spectrum disorders. The initiative helps families and carers to cope better with the pressures they face in raising their children.
The Package provides flexible early intervention funding for families with children with an autism spectrum disorder under 7 years of age, and also includes an additional Outer Regional, Remote and Access Support Payment (Access Payment) in recognition of the increased cost for some families in these areas to access specialist early intervention services such as speech pathology and occupational therapists. Eligibility for the Access Payment is based on a number of criteria including geographical challenges.
Since the program began in 2008, over 700 children living in regional, rural and remote areas have been assisted with early intervention funding.
Commonwealth Financial Counselling
Commonwealth Financial Counselling funds non-profit community-based organisations and local government community service organisations to provide free financial counselling services to people who are experiencing personal financial difficulties, including due to circumstances such as unemployment, sickness, housing stress and family breakdown. It is particularly focused on people on low-incomes.
The Australian Government funds around 130 full-time equivalent financial counselling positions in regional and rural Australia, which includes additional positions funded in recognition of the impact on families of the global economic recession and the Victorian bushfires.
Money Management services
Money management services provide practical and essential support to help people build longer-term capability to manage their money better and increase financial resilience. They are generally delivered in remote locations with high Indigenous populations. Services are voluntary, confidential, free, and open to the broader community. Around 12,000 people are assisted by money management services each year. Money management services:
- deliver education, information and coaching in financial literacy and budgeting to individuals, families or communities in a way that meets local needs;
- help people use tools to implement individual and family budgeting and savings, and debt management plans including on-going budget monitoring;
- organise related family support and referrals, including to financial counsellors for more complex financial matters; and
- help people to access financial institutions (e.g. banks, credit unions) and financial services information, including through internet banking or by phone.
Emergency Relief
Emergency Relief services provide support to address immediate needs in time of crisis. Assistance often includes food parcels and clothing, transport, chemist vouchers, help with accommodation, payment of bills and budgeting assistance. Importantly, Emergency Relief agencies provide appropriate referrals to other services that help to address underlying causes of financial crisis.
Extension of Drought Support
The Government has provided $7.7 million in 2010‑11 to continue social and emotional counselling services to support families who are living in drought declared areas. The additional funding will enable community organisations to provide much needed services such as counselling, skills training, family support, home visiting and case management to those farming families most in need.
Find and Connect Service
Forgotten Australians and former child migrants will have access to a specialised support service to help them locate personal records and trace their families as part of the $26 million Federal Budget 2010‑11 initiative for a new Find and Connect Service.
The loss of identity and connection with family is one of the most traumatic and distressing outcomes for Forgotten Australians and former child migrants as a result of their experiences in institutional care.
The Australian Government's investment will fund the new national Find and Connect Service, a records tracing and support service which will help Forgotten Australians and former child migrants to trace their personal and family histories and get in touch with members of their families where possible.
The Find and Connect Service will provide a national website and 1,800 number as a central point for records and family tracing and offer case management and counselling support services from trained providers to support Forgotten Australians and former child migrants on their journey to locate records and re-connect with their families.
The new service follows on from the Australian Government's historic apology last year to the estimated 500,000 children who were placed in institutional or out of home care in the last century, otherwise known as the Forgotten Australians. Prime Minister Rudd also apologised to the estimated 7,000 child migrants who were sent to Australia and placed in institutional care.
Remote Service Delivery Flexible Funding Pool
The Australian Government has committed $46 million to establish a funding pool that will respond flexibly and quickly to high priority needs identified in the Remote Service Delivery National Partnership priority locations.
This measure is a significant first step towards more effective collaboration across Australian Government agencies that will reduce red tape and ensure remote Indigenous communities are able to access the services they need.
This investment builds on the success of the Local Priorities Fund which was established under Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory in order to address local priorities such as environmental health and safety, community information technology equipment and essential maintenance and repairs for community facilities.
Community Development Employment Projects Program Reform in the Torres Strait Region
The Australian Government is providing $44.3 million over four years to reform the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program in the Torres Strait. These reforms contribute to the Council of Australian Government's target to halve the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous employment within a decade.
These reforms are an extension of reforms to the CDEP program that commenced in other areas of Australia from July 2009. This measure will ensure national consistency in the CDEP program and that Indigenous job seekers in the Torres Strait have the same incentives and participation requirements as others in the CDEP program.
Community Engagement Strategy for People with Disability
To provide disability and carer groups with funding of up to $30,000 each to enable people with disability, their families and carers to make an active contribution to the National Disability Strategy, the Carer's Strategy and the Productivity Commission's inquiry into long-term care and support.
The aim is to effectively engage people with disability, their families and carers and the peak bodies that represent them in these processes to ensure they are responsive to the needs and aspirations of those with the lived experience of disability.
The organisations will have a degree of flexibility in exactly how they apply these funds and may use them to fund travel and accommodation for those living in regional and rural areas to ensure their participation in metropolitan consultations. Alternatively, the organisations may use the funds to: run specific workshops/forums in regional areas of Australia; engage vulnerable people or people with mobility restrictions in consultations; or contract a facilitator to conduct their specific forums and write up the results into a report.
Aboriginal Hostels Limited
Aboriginal Hostels Limited is the largest provider of affordable temporary accommodation for Indigenous Australians. It plays a significant role in ensuring that Indigenous people have access to safe and healthy accommodation and services across Australia, including in regional and remote areas. AHL provides 3,000 beds and 9,000 meals every day to Indigenous people staying at the hostels that it operates or funds through its community grants program.
The Australian Government is investing $6.9 million for Aboriginal Hostels Limited to undertake necessary repairs and refurbishments to a number of its hostels.
Remote Indigenous Housing
The Australian Government is providing $5.5 billion over 10 years from 2008‑09 to lay the foundations for major reforms to Indigenous housing in remote Australia.
The funding is provided under the Remote Indigenous Housing National Partnership agreed with all states and the Northern Territory. It will mean up to 4,200 new houses are built and 4,800 major upgrades are made to existing houses to ease the housing shortage and improve living conditions for over 9,000 Indigenous families living in remote communities.
Governments are working together to improve housing delivery in remote Indigenous communities by developing better ways of managing new construction and by improving property and tenancy management practices.
Local people will be provided with training and real job opportunities, learning trades through construction work and working on property management such as ongoing repairs to and maintenance of the houses.
This package will also ensure land tenure arrangements are in place where new houses are being built and upgraded and is a critical first step for housing reform and for fostering economic development in Indigenous communities. Without long‑term tenure, ownership is uncertain and residents and tenants have no security or certainty.
The Commonwealth, the states and the Northern Territory will also work towards clearer roles and responsibilities with respect to the provision of municipal services and essential services in Indigenous communities.
Housing investment for the benefit of Indigenous people in remote Indigenous communities is a central plank in achieving the targets for closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.
Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory
The Australian Government is continuing to target additional effort to improving the well being of Indigenous citizens living in the Northern Territory through the Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory National Partnership agreement with the Northern Territory Government. To fulfil our commitment to close the gap in the Northern Territory, $807.4 million was appropriated in the 2009‑10 Budget and will continue through to 2012‑13.
Through the National Partnership, regional and remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory are supported by measures that focus on strengthening community safety, law and justice, supporting families, enhancing education, improving child and family health, reforming welfare and ensuring effective engagement between the Government and Indigenous people.
Improved Service Delivery for Indigenous People Living in Remote Communities
Through the Remote Service Delivery National Partnership, Australian governments have agreed to a coordinated approach to identifying and addressing investment priorities in 29 priority Indigenous locations.
The 2010‑11 Budget includes the establishment of a Remote Service Delivery Flexible Funding Pool to meet interim needs in priority communities. This will improve responsiveness and reduce red tape by funding projects identified as immediate community needs where there is currently no readily accessible alternative source of funding.
Community Development Employment Projects Program Reforms in the Torres Strait Region
The Australian Government recently implemented national reforms to the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program. In 2010‑11, these reforms will be extended to include CDEP program delivery in the Torres Strait. The reformed CDEP program in the Torres Strait will focus on work readiness, getting more Indigenous people into jobs that have proper remuneration and entitlements, extending local training opportunities and promoting community development.
The reforms will ensure that Indigenous job seekers in the Torres Strait have the same incentives and participation requirements as others in the CDEP program.
Strengthening Leadership in Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities
The Australian Government provides leadership and capability training to Indigenous individuals and communities throughout Australia. This work, combined with local community development initiatives coordinated by the Indigenous Coordination Centres and Regional Operation Centres, has created greater capability for Indigenous people to participate in decision making and policy implementation.
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payments (AGDRP)
Disasters are common occurrences in Australia and the majority of disasters occur in our rural and regional areas. In the Australian context, states and territories have primary responsibility for the protection of life and property. The Australian Government complements the relevant state or territory response, where appropriate, to lessen the impact on individuals and communities and to assist in their recovery.
No amount of assistance can ever fully address the suffering and loss experienced by Australians as a result of disasters, but it is hoped that the recovery assistance provided, together with other available assistance and generous community support, goes part of the way towards helping people and communities recover and get back on their feet.
Far North Queensland Floods, January/February 2009
In February 2009 the AGDRP was made available for those affected by the Far North and Northern regions of Queensland as a result of the rain depression caused by Tropical Cyclone Ellie. The Government has provided $55.5 million in the 2009‑10 Budget under the AGDRP program to provide assistance for this event.
Victorian bushfires, February 2009
The Government provided $465.5 million in response to the Victorian Bushfires in the 2009‑10 Budget. In additional to funding provided under AGDRP, the Government also made ex-gratia payments, a contribution to Victoria's Rebuilding Together Plan, payments to Victoria under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, and, a donation to the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund.
Qld/NSW Floods, May 2009
In May 2009, the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) was made available to people impacted by the storms and associated flooding over South-east Queensland, and the North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales. The Government has provided $14.2 million in 2009‑10 under the ADGRP program to provide assistance for this event.
Mid-North Coast NSW Floods, November 2009
In November 2009, the AGDRP was made available to people impacted by the extreme rainfall and associated flooding that hit the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales. The Government has provided $12.9 million under the AGDRP program to provide assistance for this event.
Western Australian Bushfires, December 2009 — January 2010
In December 2009, the AGDRP was made available for people impacted by the bushfires that began in the areas of Dandaragan, Coorow, and Toodyay in Western Australia. The Government has provided $0.9 million under the AGDRP program to provide assistance for this event.
South West Queensland Floods, March 2010
In March 2010 the AGDRP was made available for those impacted by heavy rain and flooding in south-west Queensland. The Government has provided $14.8 million under the AGDRP program to provide assistance for this event.
Other Disaster Support
Disaster Relief Appeal Fund
The Commonwealth Government also contributed $500,000 to the Queensland Premiers Appeal Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal Fund to assist the victims of the recent Queensland floods. ($250,000 each from FaHCSIA and the Attorney-Generals Department, from existing appropriation).
Further information
Further information about these and other family, housing, community services and Indigenous affairs initiatives relating to rural and regional Australia is available at www.fahcsia.gov.au.
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