Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the landmark investments from the Albanese Labor government in Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2024-2025 that will significantly improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I'll particularly highlight the many practical benefits these investments will deliver for First Nations people and communities in my electorate of Lingiari. Successfully managing issues of importance to Aboriginal Australians takes courage and involves a long-term vision. With the measures included in this appropriation bill, Prime Minister Albanese and Minister Burney will make a real difference to the lives of Aboriginal people in communities across Australia. The federal government understands the challenge facing Indigenous workforce development, particularly in remote communities of my electorate of Lingiari. I applaud the Albanese Labor government's Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program that will replace the failed Community Development Program. This new program is on track to commence in the second half of this year. This new program will be delivered in partnership with First Nations people and commit $777.4 million in this year's budget to create jobs that communities want. It will provide a steady pipeline of local workers to meet the growing labour force demands across remote Australia over the next decade. Every Australian has a right to a job and a future. Employment brings economic success. It is critical to closing the gap and improving the life circumstances of our First Nations people.

An issue of great concern to me is the number of people in my electorate who are experiencing homelessness and living in overcrowded housing. One in 20 people in the Northern Territory are experiencing homelessness, and experts say that this situation is worsening, with waitlists up to 10 years for public housing. For those families in my electorate who have a home, recurring problems of overcrowding and poor quality houses often result in adverse health, education and employment outcomes, and increased family violence. The situation is bleak, with the highest levels of overcrowding in Australia occurring in remote communities of my electorate in the Northern Territory.

The importance of the Albanese Labor governments commitment in this year's budget to tackling overcrowding in the Northern Territory remote communities cannot be overstated. This historic $4 billion joint investment with the Northern Territory government provides a 10-year commitment to build 270 houses each year in remote Territory communities, halving overcrowding within a decade. Included in the measure is continued support for repairs to existing houses and an additional $120 million over three years from 2024-25 to construct, repair and upgrade houses and essential infrastructure, which I know has gone down really well in Northern Territory homelands.

Our federal Labor government is meeting complex and multilayered health challenges facing Aboriginal people across Australia, in particular in my electorate where they make up approximately 70 per cent of consumers in the Northern Territory public health system. I congratulate the Albanese Labor government and Minister Burney for the measures they have taken in this year's budget to increase affordable and culturally appropriate health services.

I am pleased that one of the passions I share with the Minister for Indigenous Australians is stemming the devastating effects of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder—FASD—on children, families and in the community. Important work continues under the Central Australia plan to invest in Congress's children and youth assessment and treatment services by providing more early detection and intervention services for neurodevelopmental conditions such as FASD, ADHD and autism. This investment is allowing 200 First Nations children and people each year to receive the needed assessments and doubling Congress's current capacity in increasing community access to these much-needed services.

I am proud of the commitment that we have made in this year's budget to create a better and fairer education system for all Australians. I congratulate Minister Burney on the $18 million additional to the $250 million in the Central Australia plan being invested in this year's budget to build new and improved boarding facilities in Central Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from remote Northern Territory communities. I have attended many meetings— (Time expired)

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