On Tuesday 25 October 2022, the Treasurer, the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, handed down the 2022-23 October Budget.

The October Budget provides a series of measures for the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians including:

Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart

• $50.2 million for the Australian Electoral Commission to prepare for the referendum to enshrine a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.
• $5.8 million to commence work on establishing an independent Makarrata Commission to oversee processes for agreement-making and truth-telling, as part of the Government’s $27.7 million election commitment.

Indigenous health & education

• $54.3 million to train 500 First Nations health workers and practitioners.
• $164.3 million for vital health infrastructure projects that will provide modern, high-quality health clinics in areas of large and growing First Nations populations, and to build capacity in targeting chronic disease treatment and rehabilitation.
• $22.5 million to build a dedicated Birthing on Country Centre of Excellence at the Waminda health service in Nowra, New South Wales.
• $14.2 million to double the current funding to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to combat Rheumatic Heart Disease in high-risk communities over the next three years.
• $45 million for 30 four-chair dialysis units to provide better renal services across Australia.
• $800,000 to improve the care of patients with chronic diseases to be delivered by the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service and the Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation Aboriginal Medical Service.
• Wilcannia, White Cliffs and Menindee in New South Wales will benefit from $1.9 million to purchase dialysis treatment buses to deliver care closer to home.
• $14.1 million to place First Nations educators in 60 primary schools to teach First Nations languages and provide greater cultural understanding.
• $33.7 million to make early childhood education and care more accessible for Indigenous families, with access to 36 subsidised hours per fortnight.
• $190.0 million over four years to help First Nations controlled and Community Sector Organisations (CSO) to maintain quality services in light of rising costs.

Housing in remote communities

• $25 million for housing and essential services on Northern Territory homelands as an immediate boost, with a further $75 million allocated for 2023-24.

Justice investment

• $81.5 million to invest in up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives across Australia and establish an independent national justice reinvestment unit as recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission, the largest funding package in justice reinvestment ever committed by the Commonwealth.
• $13.5 million in additional funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) to increase its capacity to provide culturally appropriate legal assistance in coronial inquiries.
• $1 million to build greater capacity in the peak body, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) to provide leadership across the Indigenous legal sector.
• $3 million to support the National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum, and the FVPLS providers who deliver legal assistance and non-legal support to victim-survivors of family and domestic violence and sexual assault.

In addition to the above:

• $14 million will be delivered over four years as part of the Government’s Central Australia Plan to deliver immediate and medium-term crime prevention and community safety programs in Central Australia.
• the highly successful Indigenous Protected Areas program will be extended beyond 2023, and 10 new Indigenous Protected Areas created by 2028.
• $83.8 million will be invested to develop and deploy microgrid technology across First Nations communities to increase access to cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy.
• $2 million will establish an Ambassador for First Nations Peoples to take Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and experiences to the world.
• funding will be provided for a trial program as a first step to replacing the Community Development Program.

A number of other portfolios across the Commonwealth are also prioritising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with specific measures across health, education, employment, culture and heritage, the details of which are all on budget.gov.au.

Further information on NIAA’s Budget is available in the PM&C 2022-23 Portfolio Budget Statements and the media release from the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Linda Burney MP.