Prime Minister Albanese Visits Alice Springs to Assess $250 Million Support Package
youth diversion and engagement, job creation, remote service delivery, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, family support, and on-country learning.
Albanese stated that the purpose of his visit was to "listen to local people" and determine whether the support package has yielded positive outcomes. He claimed that the package has led to an increase in school engagement across Central Australia, citing rising enrolments in remote government schools and a decrease in the number of children missing 20 consecutive days of school.
However, Michelle Ayres, president of the Australian Education Union's NT branch, cautioned that it's too early to assess the impact of the funding boost on school attendance. She noted that data for Term 1 of 2024 is not yet publicly available. Nevertheless, she acknowledged positive feedback from principals in Central Australia whose teachers have benefited from the additional resources.
Albanese highlighted the success of Centralian Senior College, which has used the new funding to support disengaged students, resulting in a 37% increase in attendance for those participating in the program. Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney emphasized the importance of education in improving life outcomes for students in the region.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that long-term change will take time. In addition to the $250 million support package, the federal government announced an extra $8 million for public school infrastructure upgrades across the Northern Territory and $14 million for policing and community safety support in Alice Springs. This includes funding for 51 new personnel, including 35 police officers.
Albanese's visit to Alice Springs marks the first since a series of violent incidents last month prompted a youth curfew. He labelled the curfew, which has now expired, as an "enormous success."
The federal government's ongoing support for Central Australia aims to address critical issues and improve the lives of residents in the region. The success of these initiatives will be monitored and evaluated over the coming years.