NT Budget 2024: Classrooms fully stocked, footy fields kick goals, watchdog budgets muzzled
Whether the budget is kicking goals or missing the mark, see what key Territory leaders have to say about the latest budget release.
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Whether the budget is kicking goals or missing the mark, see what key Territory leaders have to say about the latest budget release.
Territorians ‘left to wallow’ amid $3.9m reduction to court budgets
A justice system already overburdened and stretched to the limit will be promised $3.9m less, despite boosts to police and prisons.
Legal agencies raised concerns after the loss of one-off payments.
The 2024-25 budgets has reduced $513,000 from the High Courts down to $15.7m in 2024-25, from a revised budget of $16.2m.
The lower courts and tribunals — which deal with everything from assaults and break-ins to small claims and rental disputes — will be granted $951,000 than their revised costs in 2023-24, with a promised budget of $26.3m.
The Budget said variation to last year’s court budget was due to “one-off” funding to support additional judiciary.
The Director of Public Prosecutions will operate on $161,000 less compared to their revised 2023-24 costs.
“The variation in the Director of Public Prosecutions output in 2023-24 is due to additional funding to manage increased activity in the criminal justice system,” it said.
The Solicitor of the NT was allocated $375,000 less than its revised budget, which the government said was due to one off payments from other departments.
This is despite the budget acknowledging that all these agencies faced “increased activity” in 2023-24.
The government has maintained there were no cuts to courts in this year’s budget, as one-off funding allocations has increased their allocated 2023-24 budgets.
“As a government, we are acutely aware that increased investment in police will also see increased activity in other areas of the justice system including courts, the DPP, and legal services,” Attorney-General Chansey Paech said.
“That’s why we will be working with justice stakeholders to monitor the impact of this investment and ensure we boost resources where needed to help address demand pressures across the justice system.”
For the past four budgets Justice Services and the DPP have recorded ‘overspends’, with the cost of running the departments exceeding their forecast budgets.
North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) has warned without an equivalent boost to the courts, the promise of 200 extra cops would just lead to bottlenecks in the justice system.
Principal Legal Officer Jared Sharp said without “commensurate investment” more Territorians would be left to “wallow in watch houses and on remand” without adequate legal assistance.
“We already have a situation whereby Central Australian courts have cut back sitting hours due to the sheer volume of cases and shortage of staff,” Mr Sharp said.
“History and common sense tell us that if we put more police on the streets and increase prison capacity, more people are going to come into contact with the criminal justice system.”
Mr Sharp questioned the push for police and prisons, given the Territory’s record-breaking prison population was almost five-times the national rate.
The NT Budget also discontinued a $1.9m grant to the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission, saying the 2023-24 boost was a “one off” support payment.
The last NTLAC annual report highlighted that despite growing demand for services, there was little certainty over its funding arrangements.
“The Northern Territory justice system is chronically underfunded and in need of substantial reform,” it said.
The annual report said NTLAC received $10.8m from the Territory and $7.1m in Commonwealth grant funding in 2023.
The federal government has committed $36.6m to the legal aid services in the NT in 2024-25, which includes NTLAC and NAAJA.
While this is a $1.1m boost to the previous year, no funding certainty has been given past June 2025 when a national five-year funding agreement expires.
It also comes as the Territory services lose a $300,000 grant to manage changes to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
‘Women deserve better’: Domestic violence sector highlights $150m shortfall
Experts have slammed a ‘crisis’ funding approach to domestic violence after paltry increases to the sector despite cops getting a $90m budget boost.
Northern Territory Council of Social Service chief executive Sally Sievers said an increase of $30m over two years to the domestic violence sector was a “missed opportunity” to truly address the “biggest safety concern in the Northern Territory”.
“We’re having women murdered in Australia,” Ms Sievers said.
“It provides a false sense of security to Territorians, that community safety will be achieved only by more police and prisons.”
Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia chief executive Larissa Ellis said $30m was a far cry from the government’s own estimate, with an interagency report stating $180m was needed over five years to address demand.
Ms Ellis said failure to meet the $150m shortfall — effectively just $36m a year — was putting vulnerable women and children at real risk of serious injury or death.
“All domestic and family violence services are reporting an increase in women and children attempting to access their service, with some services advising that they’re turning women away,” she said.
“We attempt to respond and plug gaps as we’re able to, and we are just falling well and truly behind.”
Ms Ellis said the sector would be looking to the Commonwealth to deliver funding, and for some assurances about the National Partnership Agreement which expires in June 2025.
“We’re constantly being told that the Territory has no money,” she said.
“(But) frankly I think we’re a little bit tired of NT governments … fighting with the Commonwealth … because those women deserve better.”
Ms Ellis said while the budget advertised itself on ‘public safety’, the $90m commitment to police showed that the government was “constantly focused on the crisis end” of violence.
She said there was little funding for prevention, early intervention, recovery and healing or workforce development.
Internal police documents provided during Australia’s largest ever domestic violence coronial inquiry have revealed the economic toll of domestic violence on the police front lines
The NT Police’s Cost of Service Delivery Project estimated that domestic violence responses cost police $100m in 2022-23, based on “conservative” estimates of the average hours committed to cases and the number of reported incidents.
This meant 24 per cent of the police budget was spent on responding to abuse.
The five-year estimate projected that frontline responses to abuse would cost $124.7m in 2024-25, a quarter of Tuesday’s record breaking police budget for 2024-25.
It estimated that cops would respond to 43,534 domestic violence incidents in 2024-25 — an average of 119 attacks a day.
And the toll of domestic violence just to the police department was projected to double by 2030, reaching $209m.
Ms Ellis said while the budget was not everything the service was fighting for, it still owed Domestic Violence Minister Kate Worden some “kudos” for securing the $30m over two years.
“She has an incredibly difficult job attempting to put domestic and family violence at the forefront,” Ms Ellis said.
“Unfortunately, at times it appears that she’s the sole voice or a voice among a minority.”
‘Disappointing’ budget fails to catch kids in need
The public sector union has warned that Territory children will continue to fall through the gaps following two years of budget cuts.
Community and Public Sector Union NT Secretary David Villegas said the latest budget was “overall disappointing” and a “missed opportunity” to address key workforce concerns.
Mr Villegas said for the second year in a row child protection funding had gone backwards.
In the 2023-24 budget the sector was promised $22.2m, but in this cycle it has been cut to $20.8m.
Within the $1.3bn Territory Families budget there has been a $2.2m increase to family support programs, $3.1m more for out of home care funding, and a $14.7m boost to youth justice.
However, Mr Villegas said without an increase in child protection funding, vulnerable young Territorians could be lost amid a department struggling with high attrition and crippling staff shortages.
“There’s more emphasis on the criminal justice aspect and not enough on looking after the kids before they get there,” he said.
“There needs to be focus on the welfare of children. and the welfare of the staff who genuinely care.”
Mr Villegas said workers were reporting having up to 40 cases at once all involving complex and vulnerable young people.
He said some child protection branches were experiencing a 50 per cent staff turnover rate.
The NT coroner recently heard there was up to a 40 per cent vacancy rate within the NT’s child protection unit, and Mr Villegas said all this was contributing to chronic “burnout”.
Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit said the shortage of child protection workers was a national phenomenon.
“We have a strong and ongoing focus on recruiting and retaining the right people across key areas of service delivery, including child protection,” Ms Ah Kit said.
“Safe, sustainable staffing levels across our child protection system and supporting the wellbeing of our people are priorities for our government.”
Mr Villegas said the main silver lining was that staffing numbers across the Territory had remained steady, with about 10 per cent of workers on the government payroll.
Police budget ‘smoke and mirrors’
The NT Police Association acknowledged the significant funding injection to the force in Tuesday’s budget, but said most of the additional $90m for police will compensate for overspending in the current budget.
NTPA President Nathan Finn said the operational budget increased this financial year by $23.4m, compared to a total deficit of $39.8m in this and next financial years.
“What wasn’t disclosed is more than $70m of that $90m funding has already been absorbed because the Department has blown its budget this financial year,” Mr Finn said.
“That blow out is not surprising given the extraordinary number of resources that have been sent to Alice Springs, ongoing violence in the West Daly Region, the overwhelming number of calls requesting an emergency response coming into the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre and the unsustainable overtime members right across the Territory are undertaking to address record levels of crime, harm and violence in the community.
“What this fiscal overrun doesn’t show is the ongoing and untold damage to the mental health and wellbeing of our members, who continue to shoulder the burden of a chronically under resourced NT Police Force.”
Education in mind for budget 2024
Parents can rest easy knowing their children will be properly resourced at school, but concerns remain that student numbers will outgrow classrooms in time.
It comes as the education budget hits a record $890m for the 2024-25 financial year.
Australian Education Union NT branch president Michelle Ayres said it was exciting to see the federal government’s cash splash come into play in the new budget, fully funding NT public schools for the first time in the Territory’s history.
But with that increase in schooling resources – which includes staff – comes its own challenges, she said.
“We run the risk of bottlenecks if we’re not careful,” Ms Ayres said.
“We’re putting a lot of money into Student Resource Standard funding – which we have fought hard for, absolutely a huge win – but that money can only be spent on resources.
“It cannot be spent on anything with a capital value, so it can’t be spent on buildings, it can’t be spent on infrastructure upgrades, can’t be spent on housing.”
Ms Ayres said it was also exciting to hear the Chief Minister acknowledge the flow-on impact education has on the rest of the Territory’s issues – including crime.
“The Chief Minister … made recognition of the fact that investment in education is key to addressing crime and areas of justice,” she said.
“It’s a dual kind of investment that they’re making – both from the justice system and in education – because education is where it starts and if you can get it right in education, it doesn’t end up in justice.”
The vocational education and training sector has welcomed a $109.2m boost.
Charles Darwin University TAFE pro vice-chancellor Michael Hamilton said the investment in VET would have a direct impact on the Territory’s economy.
Mr Hamilton said the investment would help training providers such as CDU TAFE meet the needs of businesses and industry.
“It’s a good base to support a solid foundation for training across the Northern Territory, particularly in regional and remote areas,” he said.
“Commonwealth initiatives will help build on this, particularly in supporting the improvement of Foundation Skills.”
Budget invests in future footy stars
The AFLNT has welcomed the government’s $6.5m investment into Woodroffe Oval, seeing it as a huge opportunity to grow the game in Palmerston.
A statement from the leading sports body said the investment would also help facilitate a permanent home base for one of the NT’s oldest clubs.
“AFL Northern Territory welcomes the significant investment from the Northern Territory Government into Woodroffe Oval,” the statement said.
“With nearly 60 per cent growth in the NTFL over the past three seasons, the allocation of $6.5 million into the facility will add much needed capacity for football.
“It will provide significant positive impacts on Palmerston and the broader community.
“Importantly, this investment will also facilitate a home for one of the NTFL’s longest standing clubs, the Darwin Buffaloes.”
Watchdogs’ funding muzzled in Territory budget
Almost all of Territory watchdog agencies have had their funding slashed in the latest budget.
The independent agencies protecting Territorians from unlawful use of force, dodgy funding announcement and shonky projects, seedy businesses, as well as torture and discrimination inspectors have all had effective cuts to their service moving into 2024-25.
As millions is splashed into police and prisons, NT Ombudsman has had his budget slashed by $123,000 from the 2023-24 revised budget, down to $3.1m.
The NT Ombudsman also oversees local councils, statutory authorities and government, departments, including Jacana Energy, Territory Families, Health, Education and others.
The Children’s Commissioner is also down $80,000 from the 2023-24 revised budget to $1.8m.
However it’s understood the OCC had additional expenses and the 2024-25 budget is a $20,000 increase on the promises in 2023-24.
The Anti-Discrimination Commission was slashed by $226,000 to $1.6m.
Consumer Affairs lost 40 per cent of their budget, down to $1.69m from $2.6 in 2023-24.
Despite the outgoing Auditor General Julie Crisp signalling in her latest annual reports that audits are becoming increasingly more complex, require experienced staff and are time intensive, her department has been slashed in 2024-25.
The Auditor-General’s Office lost $15,000 from the 2023-24 revised budget.
One of the only oversight body to not have its funding cut was the Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, which had a $841,000 bonus to the next financial year.
In previous reports Commissioner Michael Riches has highlighted the resourcing barrier that have meant investigations were moving at a “glacial pace”.
In March last year, Mr Riches revealed that he had investigations that he was not able to pursue due to resourcing limits.
The latest budget revealed that only 21 per cent of investigations were completed within six months — below a 60 per cent target — while 42 per cent were completed in a year, missing a 75 per cent goal.
Health and Community Services Complaints Commission also gained a $11,000 bonus moving into the next financial year.
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