Health spending going up every year
The government is predicting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs will cost it nearly a billion dollars by 2020.
For the 2016-17 financial year, the ATSI health spend is estimated to be $798 million.
More jobs but detail lacking on Indigenous aspects
The Treasurer unveiled an ambitious plan to get over 100,000 young Australians employed in the next few years.
It’s part of a new program called PaTH (Prepare – Trial – Hire). It’ll see mandatory pre-employment training for jobseekers, tens of thousands of internships on offer and rewards for companies hiring young people.
There is no specific Indigenous element to the program.
Changes to the Dole
The Work for the Dole program is being reformed, the Government said.
“From 1 October 2016, the most ready job seekers (Stream A job seekers) will enter the Work for the Dole phase after 12 months … instead of the current six month,” according to budget papers.
Source: The Point
Bailout for the ILC
The Indigenous Land Corporation will be getting a one-off loan of up to $65 million to pay off some of its debt from the controversial purchase of the Ayers Rock Resort.
No luck for the IBA
The ILC’s sister service, Indigenous Business Australia, will lose $23.1 million in funding.
The government said the money will be going back to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and redirected to “Indigenous entrepreneurs”.
Funding boost for Constitutional Recognition
The Prime Minister’s Referendum Council and the Recognise campaign will share nearly $15 million in funding.
The money is slated to go towards raising awareness of the constitutional recognition referendum and national community forums on the issue.
Source: The Point
New uni program
The Indigenous Student Success Program is the latest brainchild from the government to get more Indigenous people completing tertiary education.
It will see nearly $10 million redirected to the Education Department but will see the ITAS – Tertiary Tuition scheme scrapped.
The new program will be outcomes based and give higher education institutions with higher Indigenous completions more money.
More money for AIATSIS
The Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies will get $10 million a year for the next four years to preserve and protect Indigenous artefacts.
AIATSIS was given a funding bump in the last Budget and endorsed by the Prime Minister in this year’s Closing the Gap address.
Source: The Point
