$488.4m PFES budget, plus money for youth detention, more CCTV in 2021-22 Budget
In addition to $488.4m for police, fire and emergency services, the NT government has pushed ahead with more CCTV and overhauling youth detention centres in two Territory cities.
Northern Territory
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- Budget Breakdown: What’s in the Territory’s 2021-22 budget for you
- Hundreds of millions in upgrades for NT hospitals
SAFER communities have been promised in the 2021-22 budget, including $4.2m for additional security patrols and CCTV.
Upgrades and new detention centres have also been flagged, ahead of the government passing new youth bail laws in the next week.
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The NT government will spend $64.4m on youth justice centre overhauls in Darwin and Alice Springs next financial year.
Despite this, Mr Gunner said in his budget speech that there were “no silver bullet solutions here”.
Mr Gunner also revealed that $20m would be spent “this year, next year and every year” to sustain police officer numbers at their present levels.
“With this there is nothing temporary about our police,” Mr Gunner said.
“The Northern Territory’s police force is our most important asset in creating a safer Territory,” he said.
“These numbers will never go down under our government.”
An extra $15m would be spent over and above the normal base level of funding for corrections.
There would also be $15.3m in funding for the Northern Territorial Legal Aid Commission, although the government admits the majority is Commonwealth funds.
The Northern Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency will be provided with $15.1m.
Police, fire and emergency services’ total budget would be $488.4m, with budget documents spruiking an increase in base funding of $19.6m.
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