Mr HAMPTON - 2007-04-19
Can you please inform the Assembly of recent initiatives to support Alice Springs Lifeline?
ANSWER
Lifeline is a great national organisation, and it has a fantastic centre in Alice Springs. Lifeline provides many services, but its core service is a telephone counselling service that connects people with care and emotional support in their time of need.
In March, I met with Dawn Smith, the Chief Executive of Lifeline Australia, and Rob Loane the Director of Lifeline Alice Springs, and they gave me some disturbing news. Lifeline Alice Springs was facing having to close its doors. They did not receive anticipated Commonwealth funding that they thought they might get which would have kept the service in operation in Alice Springs. The federal government had a bucket of $62m to spend for such services nationally - not one cent came to Alice Springs. On hearing this news, I immediately had discussions with my agency to find some money to keep Lifeline Alice Springs open and operating.
I am able to advise today, Lifeline Alice Springs have immediately been granted $100 000 from the Northern Territory government to continue its operations; $50 000 of which is core funding - guaranteed annual funding so they do not have to limp from year to year, month to month with uncertainty. They now have core funding, which provides them with certainty as an operation to keep their doors open and operating this essential service in Alice Springs.
That additional $50 000 is there to assist people regarding suicide prevention. There is an excellent program that Lifeline Alice Springs runs in our region, including into the Barkley region, called Assist. So, good news for Lifeline Alice Springs: $100 000 immediately to keep their doors open, with that crucial element of a guaranteed core funding annually of $50 000. Congratulations to Lifeline for the wonderful work they do in helping people in crisis in Alice Springs and Central Australia.
ANSWER
Lifeline is a great national organisation, and it has a fantastic centre in Alice Springs. Lifeline provides many services, but its core service is a telephone counselling service that connects people with care and emotional support in their time of need.
In March, I met with Dawn Smith, the Chief Executive of Lifeline Australia, and Rob Loane the Director of Lifeline Alice Springs, and they gave me some disturbing news. Lifeline Alice Springs was facing having to close its doors. They did not receive anticipated Commonwealth funding that they thought they might get which would have kept the service in operation in Alice Springs. The federal government had a bucket of $62m to spend for such services nationally - not one cent came to Alice Springs. On hearing this news, I immediately had discussions with my agency to find some money to keep Lifeline Alice Springs open and operating.
I am able to advise today, Lifeline Alice Springs have immediately been granted $100 000 from the Northern Territory government to continue its operations; $50 000 of which is core funding - guaranteed annual funding so they do not have to limp from year to year, month to month with uncertainty. They now have core funding, which provides them with certainty as an operation to keep their doors open and operating this essential service in Alice Springs.
That additional $50 000 is there to assist people regarding suicide prevention. There is an excellent program that Lifeline Alice Springs runs in our region, including into the Barkley region, called Assist. So, good news for Lifeline Alice Springs: $100 000 immediately to keep their doors open, with that crucial element of a guaranteed core funding annually of $50 000. Congratulations to Lifeline for the wonderful work they do in helping people in crisis in Alice Springs and Central Australia.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016