$173m for remote Indigenous services
The Morrison government will extend a national partnership agreement to fund remote services in the NT, adding $173m to a deal now worth about $1bn since 2015-16.
The Morrison government will extend a national partnership agreement to fund remote services in the Northern Territory, adding $173m to a deal now worth about $1bn since 2015-16.
The arrangement was a legacy of the Howard government’s NT Emergency Response when Canberra took control of remote communities in response to concerns about social dysfunction, alcoholism and abuse.
The money is meant to be used by the Territory to support service provision in about 60 remote Aboriginal settlements.
Some Indigenous groups have accused the Darwin government of diverting resources to urban priorities instead.
Josh Frydenberg will be in Darwin on Wednesday when the extension is announced. The Morrison government also will put $750,000 towards a Holocaust museum in Darwin, ensuring that Australia has a memorial in every territory and state.
“The Coalition government has recognised, over many years, the challenges that remote communities in the Northern Territory face in accessing the services that contribute to better life outcomes,” the Treasurer said. “Long-term funding has provided the certainty needed to deliver improvements to schooling, community safety, health, as well as access to interpreter services and employment opportunities.”
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