I am pleased to announce that housing and health conditions in remote
indigenous communities are to be improved with a doubling in funding
for the successful ATSIC/Army project.
The scheme has been an outstanding success in the communities that
have so far received assistance.
Army personnel are involved in building housing, roads and airstrips
while also reducing the risk of disease by constructing drainage and
sewerage facilities. Rubbish tips are also being provided to improve
sanitary conditions.
The scheme initially involved $10 million in funding, provided equally
by the Department of Health and Family Services and the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
The Department of Health and Family Services will contribute another
$5 million towards the project while ATSIC is being invited to contribute
the same amount.
I witnessed first-hand the success of the scheme during a visit to
Elcho Island earlier this year.
Of the first seven initial projects, four are located in the Northern
Territory, and one each in Queensland, South Australia and Western
Australia.
Work will shortly begin on identifying additional remote needy communities
for assistance.
Emphasis will again be on providing Army personnel and equipment who
can train local people to maintain the improved infrastructure facilities,
so that the value of the asset will be preserved, and the benefits
of improved health will be sustained.
Today's announcement is in keeping with my Government's
determination to improve health, housing and education facilities
for indigenous Australians, to address the severe socio-economic disadvantage
they suffer.
In addition we will spend a further $15 million under the Government's
Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives programme to improve education
standards for indigenous children.
We will concentrate spending on practical measures such as providing
school buses, houses for teachers, new computers and a range of literacy
and other curriculum programs (projects attached).
In 1998-99 $168 million will be spent on indigenous-specific health
programmes, representing a real increase of 37 per cent since 1995-96.
Extra funding was provided in the 1996-97 Budget over three years
for the establishment of 35 new or expanded health services, with
priority given to rural and remote communities.
In addition $387 million will be spent in 1998-99 on indigenous-specific
housing and infrastructure programmes.