Ms SCRYMGOUR - 2012-03-29
You have provided regular updates on the progress with the key policy initiative of A Working Future, working with local people and organisations to develop our growth towns and to create a better future for all Territorians no matter where they live. What are the key risks to that work continuing in an orderly way and delivering the key outcomes we have agreed with local people?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member of Arafura for her question. Our government has focused on the regions and wants to improve the lives of all people wherever they live. In the bush, we have had two major reforms and my department has carriage of that. They are the local government shires and A Working Future. A Working Future is the government’s long-term commitment to improve the wellbeing of Indigenous people across the Northern Territory.
This government recognises the decades of neglect and the underfunding in housing and infrastructure across the regions. Through A Working Future, we have focused our policy directly where the need has been so urgent and so great. We want to turn around the decades of neglect by building the firm foundations for decades of prosperity across these regions.
We have unashamedly invested significant amounts of funding - almost $1bn - in the regions. I congratulate the Australian government on that significant announcement. It came after many years of lobbying by all bush members on this side of the House reminding the Commonwealth of their responsibility to those on outstations and homelands across the Northern Territory. Clearly, we have a long way to go because of the incredible amount of under-funding that occurred for decades in these regions.
We look forward to working with the homelands and outstations, and our growth towns and smaller communities in the regions, to build a future that is about giving hope and that is safe for our families; to look at jobs and employment for our young people; to ensure people can, over generations to come, live long, fruitful lives; and ensuring that choice of where they wish to live in the Northern Territory is an option for any Territorian.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member of Arafura for her question. Our government has focused on the regions and wants to improve the lives of all people wherever they live. In the bush, we have had two major reforms and my department has carriage of that. They are the local government shires and A Working Future. A Working Future is the government’s long-term commitment to improve the wellbeing of Indigenous people across the Northern Territory.
This government recognises the decades of neglect and the underfunding in housing and infrastructure across the regions. Through A Working Future, we have focused our policy directly where the need has been so urgent and so great. We want to turn around the decades of neglect by building the firm foundations for decades of prosperity across these regions.
We have unashamedly invested significant amounts of funding - almost $1bn - in the regions. I congratulate the Australian government on that significant announcement. It came after many years of lobbying by all bush members on this side of the House reminding the Commonwealth of their responsibility to those on outstations and homelands across the Northern Territory. Clearly, we have a long way to go because of the incredible amount of under-funding that occurred for decades in these regions.
We look forward to working with the homelands and outstations, and our growth towns and smaller communities in the regions, to build a future that is about giving hope and that is safe for our families; to look at jobs and employment for our young people; to ensure people can, over generations to come, live long, fruitful lives; and ensuring that choice of where they wish to live in the Northern Territory is an option for any Territorian.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016