Ms SCRYMGOUR - 2011-10-26
This government is investing in making a real change for Indigenous Territorians through our plan for A Working Future. Can you please outline how these investments can deliver improvements for all Territorians across our regions?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura. She knows all too well the importance of investment in our remote and regional Northern Territory. The Territory and Australian governments are working together to invest in better services in the bush, improve the lives of Aboriginal Territorians, and deliver a real working future. In partnership, we are delivering new and upgraded housing under SIHIP; a $30m three-year jobs package to support 530 jobs in our shires; more teachers and education programs to support primary and secondary education in the bush; and new police stations and more police for remote areas.
The Territory government continues to provide funding to boost growth towns and improve services and facilities. Under A Working Future, growth towns will become the economic and service delivery centres for their regions. Over the last two Territory budgets, we have allocated more than $1.5bn for infrastructure to support A Working Future. This unprecedented allocation has seen improvement in roads and regional transport; renal and other remote health services; children and family centres; mobile preschools; school and homeland centre upgrades; more teachers; new police stations and more police in the bush; essential services upgrades; and training and jobs packages. After decades of neglect, there is a mountain of work to do in the bush and this government is determined to do it.
We are seeing improvements in some key indicators and will continue to push so these successes can be built on. We are seeing some improvements in literacy rates. We have seen an increase in Indigenous employment for most of the last decade. The SIHIP program has already put more than 2000 families into new or improved housing. While the CLP knocks this program and only celebrates bad news, it should hang its head in shame. For 27 years, it neglected Territorians in the bush. With attitudes of those currently on the other side, nothing much has changed. This government has a strong and enduring commitment to Indigenous Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura. She knows all too well the importance of investment in our remote and regional Northern Territory. The Territory and Australian governments are working together to invest in better services in the bush, improve the lives of Aboriginal Territorians, and deliver a real working future. In partnership, we are delivering new and upgraded housing under SIHIP; a $30m three-year jobs package to support 530 jobs in our shires; more teachers and education programs to support primary and secondary education in the bush; and new police stations and more police for remote areas.
The Territory government continues to provide funding to boost growth towns and improve services and facilities. Under A Working Future, growth towns will become the economic and service delivery centres for their regions. Over the last two Territory budgets, we have allocated more than $1.5bn for infrastructure to support A Working Future. This unprecedented allocation has seen improvement in roads and regional transport; renal and other remote health services; children and family centres; mobile preschools; school and homeland centre upgrades; more teachers; new police stations and more police in the bush; essential services upgrades; and training and jobs packages. After decades of neglect, there is a mountain of work to do in the bush and this government is determined to do it.
We are seeing improvements in some key indicators and will continue to push so these successes can be built on. We are seeing some improvements in literacy rates. We have seen an increase in Indigenous employment for most of the last decade. The SIHIP program has already put more than 2000 families into new or improved housing. While the CLP knocks this program and only celebrates bad news, it should hang its head in shame. For 27 years, it neglected Territorians in the bush. With attitudes of those currently on the other side, nothing much has changed. This government has a strong and enduring commitment to Indigenous Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016