Today’s NT Budget causes major disquiet for the community sector with the only solution offered for tackling community safety being more police and prisons.
There is no additional community sector funding being directed towards solutions we know will benefit community safety, such as increased investment in drug and alcohol programs, mental health services, community youth programs and workforce education in these areas, nor any recognition that the biggest safety issues in the NT is domestic and family violence.
“It provides a false sense of security to Territorians, that community safety will be achieved only by more police and prisons,” NT Council of Social Service chief executive officer Sally Sievers said.
“The whole community, and crucially the community sector in all its diversity, provides services that do the prevention and early intervention work that can ensure young people do not become involved in the criminal justice system.”
The evidence shows that locking up children does not work and leads to more crime, Anglicare NT CEO Craig Kelly said.
“We should invest in what works, such as the SHAK Youth Hub that Anglicare NT operates with CAAPS Aboriginal Corporation.”
Other successful programs that significantly reduced crime include alternatives to custody such as Groote Eylandt’s Law and Justice Group and the Springs Life Skills program in Alice Springs for women and Jesuit Social Services’ restorative justice conferences.
We welcome the increase in funding of $30 million over two years in the 2024 Budget to implement the NT domestic, family and sexual violence reduction framework, but it is nowhere near the $180 million minimum the NTG’s own mapping report said was required.
“Access to safe and affordable housing and DFSV are linked. It is an indictment on our housing system that women and children are forced to return to violent situations to avoid homelessness.” says Head of Operations for NT Shelter, Annie Taylor. “NT Shelter and our partners in Tennant Creek would have liked to see an urgent feasibility study exploring options for transitional housing for women and children escaping DFV in Tennant Creek.”
NTCOSS is greatly concerned that despite the budget acknowledging that the social and community sector along with the public service was the second biggest contributor to the economy, no additional funding was provided to support community sector sustainability, nor were there any initiatives to support attraction and retention.
“There must be additional funding to ensure our sector remains robust and able to deliver essential services such as helping victims of domestic violence, homelessness and more,” said NTCOSS president and Catholic Care NT director Jayne Lloyd.
Contact Greg Roberts 0429 515 013 or media@ntcoss.org.au