Canberra: Australia’s Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese has announced new funding to address the disadvantages faced by remote Indigenous communities.
Albanese on Friday committed 842.6 million Australian dollars (530 million U.S. dollars) over six years to deliver essential services in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory (NT).
He told reporters that the new funding would help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and ensure that Indigenous Australians “are not left behind.”
The package, which will be delivered through the existing NT Remote Aboriginal Investment, includes funding for policing, alcohol harm reduction, Aboriginal interpreter services and health, education and safety initiatives.
It was announced ahead of the government releasing an update on the Closing the Gap framework on Monday.
Established in 2008 and overhauled in 2019, the Closing the Gap strategy aims to reduce Indigenous disadvantage in areas such as education, health and employment.
The latest update released in July 2024 revealed that only five of the strategy’s 19 targets are on track to be met by the 2031 deadline.
Malarndirri McCarthy, the minister for Indigenous Australians, said in a joint statement with Albanese on Friday that the government is committed to working “in genuine partnership” with Indigenous communities to deliver better outcomes.
