Budget 2024-25: Delivering better outcomes for First Nations people

over 4 years from 2023-24 for First Nations Digital Inclusion measures to deliver free community Wi-Fi in remote communities, establish a First Nations Digital Support Hub and a network of digital mentors to provide culturally competent support, and to improve the national collection of data on First Nations digital inclusion.

over 4 years from 2024-25 (and $3.6 million per year ongoing) for the Federal Court and National Native Title Tribunal to reduce the backlog of Native Title claims, resolve post determination disputes and preserve culturally and historically significant native title records that underpin the resolution of future claims. 

over 2 years from 2024-25 to the Australian Law Reform Commission to review the future acts regime within the Native Title Act.

over 4 years from 2024–25 to work with First Nations peoples and communities to support connection to Country through management of drought and climate risks.

over 4 years from 2024–25 to support First Nations groups to participate in upfront consent processes for Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme projects on Native Title lands.

over 4 years from 2024–25, as part of the Future Made in Australia – Making Australia a Renewable Energy Superpower measure, to expand the First Nations Renewable Hydrogen Engagement Fund.

over 3 years from 2024–25 to continue delivering repairs and upgrades to housing and essential infrastructure on Northern Territory homelands. 

in 2023-24 to deliver an additional 49 houses under the existing Remote Housing Northern Territory Federation Funding Agreement, in partnership with and jointly funded by the NT Government.

in 2024–25 to continue critical services under the National Partnership on NT Remote Aboriginal Investment.

over 4 years from 2024–25 (and $2.2 million per year ongoing) to develop a new National First Nations Education Policy.

over 4 years from 2024-25 (and $8.7 million per year ongoing) to support national First Nations peak organisations National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation and SNAICC - National Voice for our Children to partner with Government on matters affecting First Nations children in early childhood education.

over 4 years from 2024–25 to extend the existing programs: Australian Indigenous Education Foundation Scholarship Program, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Initiative and English Language Learning for Indigenous Children, which aim to improve educational outcomes of First Nations students.

over 3 years from 2024–25 for the First Nations Teacher Strategy to increase the number of First Nations teachers, helping to ensure students are taught in a culturally appropriate way to achieve their full learning potential. 

to support the Clontarf Foundation in the 2025 school year to continue its school engagement programs for First Nations boys.

over 5 years from 2023–24 (and $2.8 million per year ongoing) to expand coverage of the Closing the Gap Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Co-payment Program to all PBS medicines for eligible First Nations people.

over 2 years to continue and expand national strategies for First Nations vaccination uptake, sexually transmissible infection testing and culturally safe sexual health services, and communicable disease molecular point of care testing.

in 2024–25 to deliver targeted and culturally appropriate mental health supports for First Nations people.

over 5 years from 2023–24 for the Northern Territory Medical program to increase the number of First Nations medical practitioners and address recruitment and retention challenges. 

over 4 years from 2024–25 to the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association to continue to support First Nations doctors to become medical specialists.

over 4 years from 2024–25 will be provided to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to facilitate community-led distribution of menstrual products in regional and remote First Nations communities. 

The Midwife Professional Indemnity Scheme will be expanded to cover privately practising midwives providing low risk homebirths, including Birthing on Country services for First Nations women.  

over 2 years from 2024-25 to establish an interim National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. 

over 4 years from 2024-25 to continue the Indigenous Youth Connection to Culture Program in 12 communities, a place-based initiative, designed with First Nations Elders that responds to an immediate need for cultural and community based suicide prevention activities to support First Nations youth. 

over 2 years from 2024-25 for the First Nations Family Dispute Resolution Pilot to continue to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to resolve disputes around separation in a culturally safe setting. 

over 4 years from 2023-24 for resolution payments to eligible people who held an active Youpla Group policy on or after 1 August 2015.

over 5 years from 2023-24 (and $18.7 million per year ongoing) to establish a new First Nations prison to employment program.

over 4 years to provide the next stage of funding for the Justice Policy Partnership.

in 2024–25 under the National Legal Assistance Partnership, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, and National Family Violence Prevention Legal Service (FVPLS) providers.

to ensure service continuity for the Custody Notification Service while future design of the service is considered in collaboration with First Nations stakeholders.

over 4 years from 2024-25 ($17.8 million per year ongoing from 2028-29) to increase the number of First Nations language speakers through enhanced support for community language learning and new language centres.

over 4 years from 2024-25 ($2.7 million in ongoing funding from 2028-29) to support the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in the Return of Cultural Heritage program to facilitate the return of historic cultural materials, which remain in overseas collections, to traditional owners and custodians.

in 2024-25 to support and enhance AIATSIS’ ongoing role in facilitating cultural heritage activities and for urgent repairs and maintenance at AIATSIS’ facilities.

over 2 years from 2026–27 for performing arts training organisations to support First Nations students and workers.

over 3 years from 2024–25 to reduce the backlog, support administration of complex applications under Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 and progress the reform of Australia’s cultural heritage laws.