6. Sustaining Current Funding Levels
The Intervention strategy has succeeded in three important areas.
- It has raised the profile of Indigenous Affairs in the public arena,
- It has achieved largely bipartisan support from the political parties, and
- It has injected significantly higher levels of funding into Indigenous affairs.
The current levels of funding must be maintained and should be increased. For example the cost of providing enough housing in the Territory to reduce bedroom occupancy levels to an acceptable level of two persons per bedroom is estimated to be in the order of $2.4 billion dollars. The current level of funding committed of $647m over four years leaves a significant shortfall.
There is little doubt successive Australian and Territory Governments have under resourced Indigenous Organisations to manage their communities and provide adequate levels of services to their constituents. For example Indigenous Community Government Councils have been in receipt of steadily declining Financial Assistance Grants from the Australian and Territory Governments since 1987. Indigenous Housing Organisations did not receive either Housing Management or Housing Maintenance Grants until the Indigenous Housing Authority NT was established about five years ago. Repair and Maintenance funding through Maintenance Grants Programs was only increased from under $1000 per house to $2,300 in 2006. Not nearly enough to address 30 years of disrepair.
Additionally, many Government Departments under resourced Community Councils to operate a myriad of ancillary programs such as night patrols, safe houses, sport and recreation programs, respite centres and aged care services. David Higgins in his review of night patrols in the Northern Territory observed;
“After discussions with funding agencies the processes remain unclear and decisions appear based on criteria other than actual need. The Yarralin community applied for a $20,000 operational grant and received $2,000 and Nguiu applied for $60,000 and received $16,000. Neither community were involved in the decision.”
In my opinion under resourcing has created incorrect perceptions around community “dysfunction”. It became fashionable to blame Indigenous communities for their dysfunction rather than apply rigorous research into the causal factors for the dysfunction.
There is little doubt that had Indigenous organisations been provided with the levels of funding available through Intervention they would have been better placed to attract skilled staff, retain staff, provide higher levels of services and engage in governance in a meaningful way.
I trust these comments and various attachments will be of value to your review.
Yours Sincerely
Peter Ryan.
7th August 2008