Prime Minister confirms extended funding agreement for remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Prime Minister has confirmed his government will extend a multi-year funding agreement for remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Anthony Albanese made the announcement from Alice Springs earlier today.

Transcript

00:00The Prime Minister sat down with NT Chief Minister Leah Finocchio this morning to sign

00:07what they've described as a landmark funding agreement.

00:10The Prime Minister has pledged more than $840 million over six years to continue the Northern

00:17Territory's remote Aboriginal investment.

00:20This is an agreement between the NT and federal governments along with the Aboriginal Peak

00:24Organisations NT, or APONT, and it delivers significant services that remote Aboriginal

00:31communities rely on just to function.

00:33This includes funding for dozens of police officers in remote communities, women's safe

00:38houses, interpreter services and alcohol rehab services.

00:43Now the Prime Minister said this morning that there was no certainty this funding would

00:47continue and that the agreement was due to drop off a cliff in June this year.

00:52Here's what he had to say.

00:54No agreement is ever settled between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, I assure

00:59you.

01:00What this is is a new agreement.

01:01This isn't just an extension of what was there before.

01:05This has been worked through from the Commonwealth, from the NT government and with Indigenous

01:11organisations, with the Peak Organisations.

01:14Now there is an additional almost $30 million per year in this new agreement.

01:19This includes funding for up to 12 children and family centres in remote communities across

01:25the NT.

01:26These would provide solutions for complex issues including family safety and child development.

01:32There's also funding to form local groups in up to eight communities.

01:37These will develop and deliver services that aim to provide more economic and employment

01:42opportunities.

01:44And finally there's also more support for Aboriginal community controlled organisations

01:48so services can eventually be passed from government to community control.

01:53This is also the first time APONT has been a part of this agreement and CEO John Patterson

01:59said this is significant.

02:02Here's what he had to say.

02:03Because I personally believe it's because the involvement and participation by Aboriginal

02:08leaders here in the Northern Territory who know their business, know their communities,

02:12know the issues on the ground and getting that continual feedback from grassroot community

02:16and organisations that we have connections through the Aboriginal Peak Organisations

02:21Northern Territory.

02:22So there's certainly hopes that this new funding agreement will continue to see positive change

02:27in the Northern Territory's remote Aboriginal communities.

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