Month: May 2021

Historic $2.3 billion National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan

The Morrison Government is continuing to guarantee essential services by investing $2.3 billion in the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to lead landmark reform in mental health support and treatment for Australians in need.
Based on the principles of Prevention, Compassion and Care, the Plan will invest $1.4 billion in high quality and person-centred treatment, which includes the development of a national network of mental health treatment centres for adults, youth and children through the Head to Health and headspace programs.
Mental health and suicide prevention are key priorities for the Morrison Government in keeping Australians safe and a central feature of Australia’s Long-Term National Health Plan.
Every year more than 3,000 people lose their lives to suicide, and suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15–44 years.
In addition, one in five Australians experience some form of chronic or episodic mental illness each year. The personal toll on the lives of individuals and their families and carers is immense, and also has a profound effect on our society, health and social systems, and economy.
The Morrison Government is committed to working towards zero suicides and transforming the mental health system to ensure that all Australians can access the right care and essential services whenever and wherever they need.
We have undertaken an ambitious reform plan, recognising that Australians need a system that acts early to help people before mental health conditions and suicidal distress worsen, and that whole-of-government and whole-of-community changes are needed to deliver preventative, compassionate, and effective care.
The $2.3 billion Plan builds on the Morrison Government’s significant existing investment in mental health services for Australians throughout the 2019–20 bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic, and brings the Government’s total estimated mental health spend to $6.3 billion in 2021-22, an increase of around 90 per cent since 2012–13.
The Plan is based on 5 key pillars:

  • Prevention and early intervention
  • Suicide prevention
  • Treatment
  • Supporting the vulnerable, and
  • Workforce and governance.

The Plan helps set Australia up for the future by introducing landmark reforms and will transform mental health care in Australia in several fundamental ways, including by:

  • building a world-class Head to Health digital platform to harness the power of technology to help Australians dealing with mental health issues
  • ensuring that our mental health and suicide prevention system reaches places where Australians work, learn and live – not just at emergency departments and health services
  • enhancing mental health care in primary care by supporting our GPs, strengthening the involvement of consumers and carers, and expanding Medicare services, so that Australians can access new and innovative types of mental health care
  • establishing a network of multidisciplinary mental health centres for adults, young people and children through the adult and child Head to Health and youth headspace programs
  • embedding multidisciplinary teams, care coordination, consistent intake and assessment tools, greater data collection and continuous evaluation into the system to ensure it is joined up, easy to navigate and, most importantly, patient focused
  • providing every Australian who is discharged from hospital following a suicide attempt with appropriate, ongoing follow up care in the community, and
  • improving the efficiency of the system so that resources are invested in delivering truly person-centred care.

This $2.3 billion investment is the first phase of the response to the findings of the Productivity Commission’s (PC) Inquiry into Mental Health and the National Suicide Prevention Adviser’s (NSPA) Final Report.
The Government has accepted all of the recommendations of both reports in full, in part or in principle. The majority of these recommendations require collaboration with state and territory governments, with a number to be pursued jointly through a new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
Pillar 1: Prevention and early intervention ($248.6 million)
The Government is committing $248.6 million to prevention and early intervention, guaranteeing Australians access to these essential services. Key to this is an investment of $111.2 million in digital services, including the creation of a single, world-class digital platform under Head to Health that will provide online professional counselling, peer support, clinical support and referrals.
This also includes $77.3 million to continue support for existing digital mental health services, and to provide additional funding in 2021–22 for support services that manage increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019–20 summer bushfires.
$13.1 million will also be provided to support ReachOut Australia to continue delivering free and high quality digital mental health services to young Australians aged 12–25 as well as their parents, carers and schools.
Additionally, we will invest $47.4 million to support the mental health and wellbeing of new and expectant parents, including by providing $7.8 million for the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) helpline, enhancing digital screening and data collection, and working with states and territories to achieve universal perinatal mental health screening across antenatal and postnatal care settings.
We will also fund:

  • $77.1 million for the National Legal Assistance Partnership to support early resolution of legal problems for those experiencing mental illness, and for mental health workers in Domestic Violence Units (DVU) and Health Justice Partnerships (HJP) to support women who have experienced family violence
    • This will include increased mental health funding for the existing 21 DVUs and HJPs, with additional funding to seven of these for regional and remote outreach activities.
  • $6.3 million to increase mental health support services for fly‑in fly-out and drive-in drive-out workers
  • $5.7 million to build on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program to assist people with mental illness to participate in the workforce. This includes trialling the extension of the program to support adults through two Head to Health adult treatments centres and piloting vocational peer support workers with lived experience of mental health whilst seeking employment in at least two headspace IPS sites, and
  • $0.9 million to continue the Ahead for Business digital hub, supporting small business owners to take proactive, preventive and early steps to improve their mental health.

Pillar 2: Suicide Prevention ($298.1 million)
The Government remains deeply committed to work towards zero suicides and is committing $298.1 million to do so. For the first time and in partnership with states and territories, we will fund aftercare for every Australian discharged from hospital following a suicide attempt, at a cost of $158.6 million. Aftercare services provide follow up care in the immediate months after a suicidal crisis or attempt, and support individuals to seek appropriate help when they need it most. We will also trial aftercare services for anyone who has attempted suicide or experienced suicidal distress that may not have presented to a hospital.
The Government will also fund:

  • $12.8 million for a National Suicide Prevention Office to oversee the national whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention
  • $61.6 million to expand the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program to increase investment in whole-of-population suicide prevention activities and services
  • $12 million to continue the delivery of local suicide prevention initiatives across Australia through the former National Suicide Prevention Trial sites
  • $22 million to provide, in partnership with the states and territories, national suicide postvention services which help those bereaved or impacted by suicide, including families, friends, workplaces, schools, community groups, frontline responders and witnesses, and
  • $31.2 million to pilot, in partnership with the states and territories, a national Distress Intervention program which will reach people in crisis earlier and provide immediate support.

Pillar 3: Treatment ($1.4 billion)
The Morrison Government will invest $1.4 billion to improve and expand accessible and effective mental health treatment for all Australians who need it, at the right stage of life.
The heart of the Government’s reform is an $820.1 million investment to create a national network of multidisciplinary mental health treatment centres based on three models:

  • Head to Health adult mental health treatment centres: We will improve access to community-based mental health services, including through the initial establishment of eight new centres, 24 new satellite centres, and ongoing funding for eight existing centres. We will also establish a dedicated phone service to support intake, assessment and referral, at a cost of $487.2 million
    • As part of this initiative, the Government will also work in partnership with state and territory governments to continue to expand the network of community-based adult mental health services.
  • Headspace youth treatment centres: We will continue to safeguard the wellbeing of young Australians aged 12–25 by strengthening, enhancing, and expanding the headspace network, at a cost of $278.6 million. This includes:
    • expanding the national headspace network by establishing ten new headspace centres and upgrading five satellite services, bringing the total number of headspace services across Australia to 164, and
    • working jointly with states and territories to boost clinical capacity at existing headspace services.
  • Head to Health Kids: In partnership with state and territory governments, the Government will create up to 15 new Head to Health Kids mental health and wellbeing centres for children aged 0–12 years. These centres will provide multidisciplinary support for infants, children and their parents, and improve early intervention outcomes for children’s mental health, at a cost of $54.2 million.

Operating under a ‘no wrong door approach’, these new services will ensure the delivery of easy to access, high quality, person-centred treatment and supports across the mental health care system in our cities, regions and rural areas, providing stigma-free and compassionate care.
They will also contribute to addressing the ‘missing middle’ service gap (the availability of services for those who are too unwell for the general primary care system but not unwell enough to require inpatient hospital services or intensive state-based community care).
The Government will also provide:

  • $34.2 million to support General Practitioners (GPs) in their role as a key entry point into the mental health system by expanding and implementing the Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) tool in primary care settings
  • $26.9 million to provide additional support for people with eating disorders and their families, including:
    • $2.5 million to deliver the final phase of the workforce credentialing project to ensure access to high quality care under the Medicare eating disorders items
    • $1.9 million to provide training to staff in the Head to Health adult mental health treatment centres
    • $13 million to establish a National Eating Disorder Research Centre
    • $0.3 million to continue Eating Disorders Families Australia’s strive program, which provides support for families and carers of people with eating disorders, and
    • working in partnership with states and territories to explore opportunities to establish additional eating disorder day programs.
  • $288.5 million to list Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) therapy on the MBS for patients with medication-resistant major depressive disorder
  • $111.4 million to support the take up of group therapy sessions and participation of family and carers in treatment provided under the Better Access initiative
  • $171.3 million over two years to continue psychosocial support for people with severe mental illness who do not qualify for the NDIS. This funding is in addition to that provided under the NDIS
  • $42.3 million to support access to parenting education and support, to build parenting strategies and help parents to identify problem behaviours early, and
  • $0.5 million to develop national guidelines to support states and territories to include social and emotional wellbeing and indicators in early childhood health checks, so any emotional difficulties can be identified early and in a nationally consistent way.

Pillar 4: Supporting the vulnerable ($107 million)
The Government is committing $107 million towards supporting vulnerable groups, including:

  • $79 million to implement key initiatives under a renewed National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy, including:
    • $27.3 million to implement culturally-sensitive, co-designed aftercare services through regionally-based organisations, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations being preferred service providers
    • $23.8 million to support the establishment of regional suicide prevention networks and a lead commissioning officer in each jurisdiction, and
    • $16.6 million to Gayaa Dhuwi and Lifeline to establish and evaluate a culturally-appropriate 24/7 crisis line governed and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  • $16.9 million to fund mental health early intervention supports and preventive measures for migrants and multicultural communities, and address the cultural competence of the broader health workforce through the Program of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma, and Mental Health Australia’s Embrace Framework, and
  • $11.1 million to improve the experience of and outcomes for people with complex mental health needs through a range of targeted initiatives, including:
    • funding for SANE Australia to pilot specialised mental health services and interventions for people with complex mental health needs, and
    • additional training and education for the mental health workforce to better meet the needs of people with cognitive disability and autism.

A number of the new adult and child mental health centres will also be established with expertise focused on providing care for particular vulnerable groups, such as LGBTIQ+ or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health, based on identified areas of need.
Pillar 5: Workforce and governance ($202 million)
The Government is committing $202 million for mental health workforce and governance measures. This will ensure the system has the capacity and capability to provide quality and compassionate care. Key measures include:

  • $58.8 million to grow the mental health workforce by providing:
  • $15.9 million to support GPs and other medical practitioners to provide primary mental health care. This includes the provision of additional training in psychological therapies, reviewing and improving mental health training for medical practitioners, developing a nationally recognised Diploma of Psychiatry for medical practitioners, reviewing mental health prescribing practices and developing guidelines for the safe use of antidepressants in youth and children, and continuing to deliver the Equally Well Program promoting improvements to the physical health of those living with a mental illness
  • $7.3 million towards additional staff resources for the National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) to support the Australian Government’s mental health and suicide prevention reform agenda
  • $2.6 million to provide tailored mental health supports to health practitioners and reduce stigma associated with health practitioners seeking support for their own mental health
  • $0.3 million to engage with mental health stakeholders to investigate and co-design future national peak body arrangements to provide consumers and carers with a greater say in the future of the mental health system, and
  • $117.2 million to establish a comprehensive evidence base to support real time monitoring and data collection for our mental health and suicide prevention systems, enabling services to be delivered to those who need them, and improving mental health outcomes for Australians.

Funding from a number of these measures will be used to grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workforce, building the capacity of culturally safe treatment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The reforms included in this historic Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan will continue to guarantee Australians with essential services, and are the first major step in what will be an ongoing effort to create a world-leading mental health and suicide prevention system.
Many of these reforms will require a phased approach and ongoing cooperation with states and territories and with stakeholders, but by working together we can build the mental health and suicide prevention system that Australians deserve.

$17.7 billion to deliver once in a generation change to aged care in Australia

In response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Morrison Government will deliver a $17.7 billion package of support and a once in a generation reform to aged care to deliver respect, care and dignity to our senior Australians.
Senior Australians built our nation. They are our parents and grandparents, our founders and protectors, and they have contributed so much to our Australian communities.
It is our duty and responsibility to give every Australian the care they need in their later years.
This investment of an additional $17.7 billion will deliver generational change with improved quality care, increased viability in the sector with services respecting the needs and choices of senior Australians. It is also the largest investment in aged care.
We welcome the final report of the Royal Commission and have founded our response on the principles of respect, care and dignity.
The Morrison Government is, therefore, responding to the Royal Commission with its five year – five pillar aged care reform plan addressing:

  • Home care – at home support and care based on assessed needs
  • Residential aged care services and sustainability – improving service suitability that ensures individual care needs and preferences are met
  • Residential aged care quality and safety – improving access to and quality of residential care
  • Workforce – growing a bigger, more highly skilled, caring and values based workforce; and
  • Governance – new legislation and stronger governance

The Government thanks Commissioners, the Hon Tony Pagone QC, Lynelle Briggs AO and the late Hon Richard Tracey AM RFD QC, for their efforts delivering one of the most important documents in the history of aged care in Australia.
In responding to the 148 recommendations, of which 123 were joint, and 25 were specific to the individual Commissioners requiring a decision by Government, the Morrison Government has accepted or accepted in principle 126 recommendations. In addition, the Government supports instead an alternative on four of the recommendations. Twelve recommendations were subject to further consideration or noted in the government response. Six were not accepted, including four which note the discordant views of the Commissioners.
The key elements of the Morrison Government’s response include:

  • Pillar 1 of the Royal Commission Response – Home Care: $7.5 billion towards supporting senior Australians who choose to remain in their home, including:
    • $6.5 billion for an additional 80,000 Home Care Packages – 40,000 released in 2021–22 and 40,000 in 2022–23, which will make a total of 275,598 packages available to senior Australians by June 2023
    • $10.8 million to design and plan a new support in home care program which better meets the needs of senior Australians
    • $798.3 million to support the 1.6 million informal carers, including additional respite services for 8,400 senior Australians each year, and
    • $272.5 million for enhanced support and face-to-face services to assist senior Australians accessing and navigating the aged care system.
  • Pillar 2 of the Royal Commission Response – Residential aged care services and sustainability: $7.8 billion towards improving and simplifying residential aged care services and to ensure senior Australians can access value for money services, including:
    • $3.9 billion to increase the amount of front line care (care minutes) delivered to residents of aged care and respite services, mandated at 200 minutes per day, including 40 minutes with a registered nurse
    • $3.2 billion to support aged care providers to deliver better care and services, including food through a new Government-funded Basic Daily Fee Supplement of $10 per resident per day
    • $102.1 million to assign residential aged care places directly to senior Australians, and to support providers to adjust to a more competitive market
    • $49.1 million to expand the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority to help ensure that aged care costs are directly related to the care provided
    • $189.3 million for a new Australian National Aged Care Classification to deliver a fairer and more sustainable funding arrangements, and
    • $5.5 million to reform residential aged care design and planning to better meet the needs of senior Australians, particularly those living with dementia.
  • Pillar 3 of the Royal Commission Response – Residential aged care quality and safety: $942 million to drive systemic improvements to residential aged care quality and safety, including:
    • $365.7 million to improve access to primary care for senior Australians, including the transition of senior Australians between aged care and health care setting and improved medication management
    • $262.5 million to ensure the independent regulator, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC), is well equipped to safeguard the quality, safety and integrity of aged care services and can effectively address failures in care
    • $7.3 million for additional resources to build capacity within residential aged care for the care of senior Australians living with dementia
    • $67.5 million for the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service and the Severe Behaviour Response Teams to further reduce reliance on physical and chemical restraint (restrictive practices), and
    • $200.1 million to introduce a new star rating system to highlight the quality of aged care services, better informing senior Australians, their families and carers, including
      • $94.0 million to expand independent advocacy to support greater choice and quality safeguards for senior Australians.
  • Pillar 4 of the Royal Commission Response – Workforce: $652.1 million to grow a skilled, professional and compassionate aged care workforce, which will be the powerhouse of the Government’s reform agenda, including:
    • upskilling the existing workforce and providing training for thousands of new aged care workers, including 33,800 subsidised Vocational Education and Training places through JobTrainer.
    • $228.2 million to create a single assessment workforce to undertake all assessments that will improve and simplify the assessment experience for senior Australians as they enter or progress within the aged care system
    • $135.6 million to provide eligible Registered Nurses with financial support of $3,700 for full time workers, and $2,700 for part time workers, nursing scholarships and places in the Aged Care Transition to Practice Program; and
    • $9.8 million to extend the national recruitment campaign, to help increase the skilled and dedicated aged care workforce.
  • Pillar 5 of the Royal Commission Response – Governance: $698.3 million to improve the governance across the aged care system. This will embed respect, care and dignity at the heart of the system, guaranteeing better choice, high quality and safe care for senior Australians, including:
    • $21.1 million to establish new governance and advisory structures, including a National Aged Care Advisory Council, and a Council of Elders, and to work towards establishment of an office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care
    • $630.2 million to improve access to quality aged care services for consumers in regional, rural and remote areas including those with First Nations backgrounds and special needs groups
    • $13.4 million to improve rural and regional stewardship of aged care, with Department of Health aged care officers embedded within eight of the 31 Primary Health Network regions, and
    • The drafting of a new Aged Care Act to enshrine the Government’s reforms in legislation by mid-2023.

The initiatives outlined within the Morrison Government’s five pillars response will be introduced through a five year plan in response to the Royal Commission.
Phase One (2021) will see the Morrison Government focus on setting the foundations for generational change, commencing with key structural and governance change across the aged care system, building the workforce, and addressing immediate priorities across each of the five pillars:
2021

  • Home care
  • Residential aged care services and sustainability
    • Supplement ($10 Basic Daily Fee) and continue Viability Supplements
    • Independent Pricing Authority
    • Begin phasing in enhanced financial and prudential oversight
  • Residential aged care quality and safety
    • Improve Quality Standards for dementia, diversity, food, nutrition
    • Enhanced regulatory and monitoring powers of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to improve clinical standards
    • Additional GP services and access available for aged care residents
  • Workforce
    • Additional training places provided for new and existing aged care workers
    • Scholarships to attract nurses and personal care workers
    • Additional advocacy, dementia and palliative care training
  • Governance
    • Council of the Elders
    • Inspector-General of Aged Care
    • Funding uplift for MPS and NATSIFAC residential care

Phase Two (2022–2023), the Morrison Government will be rebuilding institutions across the sector ensuring their resolute focus on the dignity, care and respect for senior Australians.
We will develop and pass new legislation and embed regulation with a focus on high quality support for older people, which is simpler to access and better tailored to the needs of the individual. We will reform funding arrangements and make significant changes to service delivery. We will continue to enhance workforce capability, and improve the culture in aged care.
2022

  • Home care
  • Residential aged care services and sustainability
  • Residential aged care quality and safety
    • Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) expanded to home and community care
    • Reporting of staffing hours
    • Enhanced financial reporting transparency
    • Worker screening (workforce register) and code of conduct introduced
    • Stage one implementation of Star Ratings
  • Workforce
    • Single assessment workforce model implemented in residential care
    • Financial incentive payments for registered nurses
    • Additional training places provided for new and existing workers, including 6,000 new personal care workers and 33,800 additional training places for personal care workers to attain a Certificate III
  • Governance
    • Procurement of Indigenous care finders
    • Transition to AN-ACC funding model
    • Increase in the residential funding base

2023

  • Home care
  • Residential aged care services and sustainability
    • Mandatory care time (200 care minutes)
  • Residential aged care quality and safety
    • National Aged Care Minimum Dataset to improve information metrics about aged care
    • Expanded National Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (NMQIP)
  • Workforce
    • Single assessment workforce model implemented in home care
    • Additional training places provided for new and existing personal care workers to attain a Certificate III
  • Governance
    • New Aged Care Act commences

Phase Three (2024–2025) will begin to realise the vision of a high-quality and safe aged care system. We will deliver an aged care system that places the needs of senior Australians at its core. Most of all, our care system will treat our senior Australians with dignity, care and respect.
2024

  • Home care
  • Residential aged care services and sustainability
    • Reformed residential aged care accommodation framework implemented
    • Discontinue the Aged Care Approvals Round process from 1 July 2024
  • Residential aged care quality and safety
    • Full implementation of Star Ratings

2025

  • Residential aged care services and sustainability
  • Governance
    • Strong and effective governance of aged care is in place with senior Australians at the center and improved care outcomes consistently delivered.

A new national strategy to prevent child sexual abuse

The Commonwealth Government will provide $146 million over four years for the first phase of a new National Strategy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse.
The Strategy will be a 10 year, whole-of-nation framework to establish a coordinated and consistent approach to prevent and better respond to child sexual abuse in Australia.
“Every child deserves safety and protection and today’s new measures will prevent, detect and respond to child sexual abuse committed within Australia, online, and by Australians overseas,” the Prime Minister said.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ben Morton, said measures being announced today will lay the foundation for the landmark new National Strategy, which will be released in full in September 2021.
“The Commonwealth has a leadership and coordination role in tackling child sexual abuse, and many of these measures address our responsibilities under the Commonwealth Criminal Code,” Assistant Minister Morton said.
“These measures will deliver on commitments made in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“Any sexual crime against a child is one too many, and this National Strategy aims to deliver ambitious and world-leading measures to prevent all forms of child sexual abuse.”
The National Strategy will complement and align with other national policy frameworks, such as the current and future National Plans to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, and Closing the Gap.
Key initiatives include:

  • $59.9. million worth of initiatives to be delivered by the Australian Federal Police to combat child sexual abuse, including an additional $35.4 million for new frontline operational activities to keep our children safe.
  • $13.9 million to bolster the capabilities of AUSTRAC, the Australian Institute of Criminology, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and the Department of Home Affairs to equip intelligence, research and border protection agencies to disrupt the cash flow behind child sexual abuse, prevent and disrupt livestreamed child sexual abuse, intercept material and offenders at the border, and enhance our ability to identify offenders within the community.
  • $4.1 million for the Department of Home Affairs to work with Indo-Pacific partners on regional policy and legislative responses to child sexual abuse.
  • $2.95 million to help the Department of Home Affairs build relationships with the digital industry to drive a coordinated and collaborative charge against offenders’ exploitation of online platforms to commit child sexual abuse related crimes.
  • $24.1 million to strengthen Commonwealth capacity to prosecute perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
  • $16.8 million for the Attorney-General’s Department to enhance and expand legal assistance concerning child sexual abuse.
  • $10.9 million for the National Indigenous Australians Agency to co-design place-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healing approaches to support survivors of child sexual abuse.
  • $4.7 million for Sport Integrity Australia to enhance child safeguarding in sport.
  • $3.0 million to the eSafety Commissioner to deliver targeted online education programs to support parents and families to prevent online harms to children.
  • $5 million to expand the National Office for Child Safety’s national leadership role to deliver the National Strategy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse.

Further announcements will be made with the full National Strategy, including additional measures to be jointly delivered by the Commonwealth and its state and territory partners.
The Australian Government is working with states and territories as well as non-government stakeholders to finalise the National Strategy for release in September 2021. For more information, visit: https://childsafety.pmc.gov.au/.

Australia’s communications, media and arts sectors helping secure our recovery

The Morrison-McCormack Government is securing Australia’s recovery through significant commitments to strengthen our communications, media and creative arts sectors, helping to rebuild our economy, secure jobs and support communities as we continue our resurgence from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital service delivery has become more important than ever, with many sectors rapidly digitising over the past year to meet the demands of home-based work. This is why the Government’s Digital Economy Strategy plays a central role in the 2021-22 Budget, as we establish an enduring program to connect Australians and keep them safe online.
This Budget also recognises the challenges the pandemic has created for our arts sector, with significant support being delivered to help Australia’s national cultural institutions and the broader arts sector position for stronger roles in a post-COVID world.
The Government’s investments as part of its plan to secure Australia’s recovery include:

  • $5.2 million for an awareness campaign to better support victims of online abuse and harm;
  • $84.8 million for improved connectivity in the regions through the Regional Connectivity Program;
  • $68.5 million for a dedicated stream of funding for Northern Australia under the Regional Connectivity Program and Mobile Black Spot Program;
  • $16.4 million for better mobile connectivity in bushfire-prone areas on the fringe of our cities;
  • $18.8 million over four years from 2021 22 for a Digital Games Tax Offset
  • $8 million for community broadcasting;
  • $15 million to the AAP Newswire in support of public interest journalism in regional Australia;
  • $7.7 million to help consumers select reliable, high speed broadband services that meet their needs;
  • $4.2 million to implement the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code;
  • $85.4 million for eight national collecting institutions; and
  • $11.9 million over four years to boost quality children’s television content.

Communications and the Digital Economy
Improving Online Safety
Under the Morrison Government’s new Online Safety Act, there will be new and strengthened schemes to help Australians stay safe online. This includes a new adult cyber abuse scheme for Australian adults; an expanded cyberbullying scheme for Australian children and an enhanced image-based abuse scheme which addresses the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
The Government will invest an additional $5.2 million to alert Australians to the help available to them by informing the community of the new and strengthened schemes to keep them safe online.
Australia is at the forefront of online safety policy and regulation. The Online Safety Act will bolster Australia’s world-leading online safety framework by creating new and strengthened schemes to keep Australians safe when things go wrong online.
Improving Regional Connectivity
The Government will build on the success of the Regional Connectivity Program by committing a further $84.8 million to the Program, opening up new opportunities for regional businesses, communities and regional services such as health and education.
The Program complements the NBN and the Government’s highly successful Mobile Black Spot Program by targeting the delivery of new and improved access to broadband and mobile connectivity in areas of high economic and social value outside of the NBN fixed-line footprint.
The first round of the program is providing $90.3 million (GST inc) in funding towards 81 telecommunications infrastructure projects. Successful applicants included local councils, major telecommunications companies, regional businesses, community groups, educational facilities and fixed wireless providers.
Projects funded under the program will provide communities in regional Australia with access to improved broadband services and data, delivering fast, affordable and reliable connectivity.
The Government will also enhance digital connectivity in Northern Australia by providing $68.5 million of dedicated funding for digital technology solutions in Northern Australia through the Regional Connectivity Program and Mobile Black Spot Program.
Connecting and protecting communities on the urban fringe
The Government will invest $16.4 million to establish the Peri-Urban Mobile Program to improve mobile connectivity in bushfire prone areas on the peri-urban fringe of our major cities.
The peri-urban fringe is where the bush meets the suburbs, presenting a major bushfire risk to those who live and work in those areas.
By improving mobile coverage in these areas, communities will be able to receive vital information during emergencies, seek help if needed and stay in touch with loved ones.
On a day-to-day basis, the program will improve connectivity for these communities, contributing to the local economy through lifting productivity, capability and investment.
The Peri-Urban Mobile Program will provide grant funding to Mobile Network Operators and infrastructure providers to deploy new mobile phone infrastructure to upgrade mobile reception and coverage issues in these areas.
Digital Games Tax Offset
As part of the Digital Economy Strategy, the Government is providing $18.8 million over four years from 2021 22 for a new Digital Games Tax Offset. This will provide a 30 per cent refundable tax offset for qualifying Australian digital games expenditure ongoing from 1 July 2022, with the criteria and definition of qualifying expenditure to be determined through industry consultation.
This measure will drive investment and growth in the sector, as well as help attract and build the creative digital skills needed in the economy, helping Australia to take a greater share of the approximately $250 billion global video games development market.
Community Broadcasting
The Government will provide an additional $8 million over two years to the Community Broadcasting Foundation as part of the Community Broadcasting Program
The community radio sector has made a valuable contribution to Australians throughout the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic. This additional support will help to boost development and operational funding, support sustainability and capability for the sector, and allow it to manage the ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australia’s 450 community radio broadcasters will benefit from this measure.
Continued support for public interest journalism in regional Australia
The Government will provide additional funding of $15 million over two years to the Australian Associated Press Newswire (AAP), starting in the 2020-21 financial year. The funding will support AAP’s continued provision of newswire services, consisting of regional, national and international news, to regional media outlets across Australia. This allows regional media businesses to concentrate on covering local news stories that are important to their communities.
The funding is consistent with the objectives of the Public Interest News Gathering (PING) Program to support regional journalism and builds on the Government’s existing support to the newswire service. The measure will bring the total support to AAP to $20 million. AAP’s existing PING agreement will be updated to reflect the increase in funding and new grant activities. The first payment of $7.5 million will be paid before 30 June 2021.
Helping Australians access the right broadband services
The Government will support the continued delivery of the Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) program by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for an additional four years at a cost of $7.7 million that will be recovered in full via the Annual Carrier Licence Charge.
The program will continue to help consumers select reliable, high speed fixed-line broadband services that meet their needs, and will extend these benefits to additional regional and emerging market segments by including fixed wireless broadband services.
The importance of the program’s renewal is accentuated by the launch of new higher speed NBN products and increased reliance on broadband due to COVID-19.
News Media Bargaining Code
The Australian Government has introduced the world-leading News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code to address the bargaining power imbalance between Australian news media businesses and digital platforms, and to support a diverse and sustainable news media sector in Australia.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has several important functions under the Code, including registering news businesses, and maintaining a register of arbitrators.
Additional funding of $4.2 million over three years from 2020-21will be provided to ACMA in this Budget to enable the regulator to discharge its responsibilities.
Creative and Cultural Sector
As part of our plan to secure Australia’s recovery, the Government has invested almost $300 million to support the successful reopening of Australia’s creative and cultural sector. These measures include:
$125.6 million for further Restart Investment and Sustain Expand (RISE) grants will provide competitive seed funding for new productions, festivals and events to support the successful re-opening of Australia’s creative and cultural sector.
$50.8 million to extend the Temporary Interruption Fund used by the screen industry until 31 December 2021. The fund is helping to support local film and television producers secure finance and start filming again.
$20 million in grants providing support to our independent cinemas through the Supporting Cinemas’ Retention Endurance and Enhancement initiative (SCREEN)
$75 million to reinstate the Producer Offset Rate for film set to 40 per cent as an ongoing measure for Australian film of creative and cultural significance.
$20 million to various arts organisations including $10 million for the music charity Support Act, and $5 million to support national performing arts touring.
$11.4 million to support the recovery of regional arts events in 2021-22.
More support for our National Cultural Institutions
The Government will provide additional funding of $85.4 million to our National Collecting Institutions to improve their financial sustainability and enable them to undertake a variety of capital works so that we can continue to preserve and enjoy Australia’s cultural heritage.
Additional funding of $32.4 million over two years will be provided to eight National Collecting Institutions to improve their financial sustainability and enable them to deliver public services and programs. The Australian National Maritime Museum, Bundanon Trust, Museum of Australian Democracy, National Film and Sound Archive, National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and National Portrait Gallery of Australia will be the beneficiaries of this funding.
The Government will also provide additional funding of $47.5 million to our national cultural institutions for a variety of capital works so that we can continue to preserve and enjoy Australia’s cultural heritage.
This includes funding of $28.6 million to the National Gallery of Australia to replace end-of-life capital assets to improve the safety of staff and visitors and support the ongoing care of the Gallery’s collection valued at $6.2 billion.
Funding of $9 million over two years will also be provided to the Australian National Maritime Museum, Bundanon Trust and the National Library of Australia to deliver safety related capital works. This will include safety improvements to public thoroughfares and replacement of fire safety systems at the Australian National Maritime Museum, restoration of the Bundanon Homestead, maintenance of the Boyd Education Centre, and support for the replacement of the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system at the National Library of Australia.
Funding of $5.5 million over four years will also be provided to establish and sustain an additional exhibition in the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Children’s Television
Further funding of $11.9 million over four years from 2021-22 and $3.0 million ongoing, will be provided to the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) to support the development and distribution of quality Australian children’s content. This is in addition to the funding of $20.2 million over two years provided in the 2020-21 Budget.
ACTF has played a pivotal role in the success of iconic Australian programs, such as Round the Twist and Dance Academy, and more recent productions including Bluey, Hardball and Little J and Big Cuz.
This funding will enable ACTF to support producers of children’s content to transition as the Government modernises the regulatory and funding framework that underpins Australian content. It will also assist ACTF to continue their role in helping producers capitalise on interest from streaming services to commission and acquire quality Australian children’s content.
Through these significant investments in the 2021-22 Budget, the Government is securing Australia’s recovery by supporting job creation and an economic revival across sectors hit hard by the pandemic.

Budget 21021: 2021 Securing Australia’s Recovery

Our plan to secure Australia’s recovery will create more jobs, rebuild our economy and set the country up for the future.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Morrison Government has provided $291 billion in direct economic support to keep businesses in business and Australians in jobs.
Our economic recovery has beaten even the most optimistic of our expectations with more people in work than ever before. JobKeeper has done its job.
Under our plan, the unemployment rate is forecast to fall below 5 per cent by late 2022 while the economy is forecast to grow by 5¼ per cent in 2021 and 2¾ per cent in 2022 having outperformed every major advanced economy in 2020.
As part of the 2021-22 Budget the Government is:

  • Providing tax relief for more than 10 million hard-working Australians, to put more money in their pockets to spend in small businesses across the country helping to create jobs
  • Incentivising business to invest, creating more economic activity and more jobs
  • Investing in skills and training to fill skills shortages and to provide Australians with the skills they need to get a job
  • Investing in more infrastructure to boost the nation’s productivity and to create more jobs
  • Backing our manufacturing sector to diversify our economy and to create more jobs
  • Boosting workforce participation by making child care more affordable
  • $2.6 billion for the North-South Corridor in South Australia
  • $2 billion for the Great Western Highway in New South Wales
  • $2 billion initial investment for a new Melbourne Intermodal Terminal in Victoria
  • $400 million for Bruce Highway Additional Funding in Queensland
  • $379 million for METRONET in Western Australia
  • $150 million for highway upgrades in the Northern Territory
  • $132.5 million for Canberra Light Rail – Stage 2A in the Australian Capital Territory and
  • $113.4 million for the Midland Highway Upgrades in Tasmania.
  • Increase the child care subsidies available to families with more than one child aged five and under in child care, benefitting around 250,000 families
  • Remove the $10,560 cap on the Child Care Subsidy, benefitting around 18,000 families

Tax relief
To secure Australia’s recovery the budget provides an additional tax cut to more than 10 million low and middle income earners.
It will see low and middle income earners benefit by up to $1,080 for individuals or $2,160 for couples.
This is more money to spend in local businesses, giving them the confidence to take on an extra worker, offer an extra shift or buy a new piece of equipment.
To support further job creation the Government will extend temporary full expensing and the loss carry back measure announced in last year’s budget for another year.
This will allow more than 99 per cent of businesses employing 11.5 million Australians to deduct the full cost of eligible depreciable assets of any value in the year they are installed until 30 June 2023.
It will also allow companies with turnover up to $5 billion to offset losses for the 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and now 2022-23 income years against previously taxed profits from 2018-19 or subsequent years to generate a refund.
Skills and training
The Government is doubling its commitment to the JobTrainer Fund to support a further 163,000 new training places to upskill job seekers and meet skills shortages.
The Budget also funds more than 170,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships, 5,000 higher education short courses and 2,700 places in indigenous girls academies to help them finish school and get a job.
We will also accelerate digitals skills training for job seekers with low levels of reading, writing, maths and computer skills.
Women will also benefit from STEM scholarships and programs to help them to break into non‑traditional trades.
Infrastructure
The Government is building the infrastructure our economy needs for the future, with a record 10-year $110 billion infrastructure pipeline, which is already supporting 100,000 jobs across the country.
The 2021-22 Budget goes further with $15.2 billion in additional infrastructure commitments, which will support a further 30,000 jobs across the lives of those projects, including:
These commitments also include $1 billion for road safety upgrades and a further $1 billion for community infrastructure.
Building our capability
In last year’s Budget the Government invested $1.5 billion in a Modern Manufacturing Strategy to ensure our international competitiveness and to create more jobs.
We also backed in our manufacturing plan with an additional $2 billion in R&D tax incentives.
The 2021-22 Budget goes further with a new ‘patent box’ starting on 1 July 2022.
Under the patent box, income earned from new patents that have been developed in Australia will be taxed at a concessional rate of 17 per cent.
The patent box will apply to the medical and biotech sectors and we will consult on expanding it to the clean energy sector.
The comprehensive manufacturing plan will help Australian businesses to develop the next bionic ear or cervical cancer vaccine.
The 2021-22 Budget also invests in measures to help small businesses and farmers expand and diversify their export markets with an additional $87.7 million in funding for the Agri-Business Expansion Initiative.
To ensure our industries remain competitive, the 2021-22 Budget also makes critical investments to deliver more affordable and reliable energy.
This includes helping unlock Australia’s vast gas reserves in the North Bowen and Galilee Basins, and investing in hydrogen-ready gas plants.
To further shore up our fuel security the Budget helps local refineries to keep operating in Australia.
Child care
To cut the cost of living for around a quarter of a million families and to help boost workforce participation, the Government is making an additional $1.7 billion investment in child care.
The investment will add up to 300,000 hours of work per week which would allow the equivalent of around 40,000 individuals to work an extra day per week and boost the level of GDP by up to $1.5 billion per year.
The changes target low and middle income earners with around half the families set to benefit having a household income under $130,000.
Importantly it lowers the disincentive to take on an additional day or two of work for many families.
The Government will:
For those families with more than one child aged five and under in child care, the level of subsidy received will increase by 30 percentage points to a maximum subsidy of 95 per cent for their second and subsequent children.
This comprehensive economic plan creates jobs and secures Australia’s recovery.

New exhibition gives unique perspective on city landmarks

A new exhibition highlighting the beauty of everyday objects will also provide a snapshot in time of Newcastle’s ever-evolving history.
RACHEL MILNE: Nest is the first major solo exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery by local artist Rachel Milne.

Featuring intimate paintings and portraits set in her home and studio, as well as plein air landscapes of iconic places in Newcastle, the exhibition also includes a series of paintings completed while Rachel was the artist in residence at the former David Jones building.
Abandoned at the time, Milne’s artworks capture a unique moment in the history of the iconic former department store, which is now on the verge of permanent change as part of Iris Capital’s East End development.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the exhibition gives the community an opportunity to experience Newcastle landmarks and everyday objects from someone else’s point of view.
“It is wonderful to see Newcastle Art Gallery showcasing the work of a highly regarded local artist, whose paintings beautifully capture so many different perspectives that will be familiar to Newcastle audiences,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Whether it’s the view from the stage of the Victoria Theatre to the interior of the old David Jones building, which at one time was the heart of retail activity in Newcastle and is in the process of being reinvented by Iris Capital for future generations of residents and visitors to enjoy, Rachel’s work provides a fascinating snapshot in time as our city continues to grow and evolve.”
Rachel MILNE Construction 2020 oil on board 80.0 x 100.0cm Les Renfrew Bequest 2020 Newcastle Art Gallery collection, courtesy the artist
The English-born artist moved to Newcastle in 2013 and quickly made her mark on the local art scene as the winner of the Singleton Portraiture Prize that year. A three-time finalist in the Kilgour Prize at Newcastle Art Gallery, Milne also made the shortlist twice in the prestigious Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW and has work in the collections of Bathurst and Maitland Regional Art Galleries as well as Newcastle.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said Milne’s richly layered observational works were a wonderful example of the artistic genre of Intimisim, which captures the beauty of everyday objects and scenes.
“Milne’s observational paintings depict ordinary objects like a child’s pram, a chair from her studio or food she has prepared. Paintings of local public swimming pools depict nostalgic scenes that have remained unchanged for years,” Ms Morton said.
“The exhibition also includes recently created works of art by Milne on display for the first time. A series of paintings set in Newcastle artists’ cooperative, Creator Incubator, provide insight into a vibrant creative arts community set in a large industrial space, now re-purposed and part of Newcastle’s ever-evolving history.”
RACHEL MILNE: Nest will be on display at Newcastle Art Gallery from 15 May – 1 August, 2021. As part of the opening weekend, Rachel will take part in a talk with writer Laura Jackel from 2pm on 15 May that will explore Newcastle’s ever-evolving urban landscape and the enduring reference to beauty in the everyday in Milne’s work.

NSW STATEMENT ON THE 2021-22 FEDERAL BUDGET

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet tonight welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s 2021-22 Budget, which delivers more than $3 billion in funding for road infrastructure projects in NSW, alongside tax relief and training initiatives designed to boost the economy and help drive unemployment below pre-pandemic levels.
Mr Perrottet said the Commonwealth’s strong focus on supporting working families and creating jobs was teamed with a strong focus on helping the vulnerable and those in need.
“Josh Frydenberg has delivered a Budget which is the envy of many countries around the world, it’s clear Australia is leading the pack on the way back,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This is a Budget which places people at its very heart, ranging from more childcare assistance, help for the aged care sector, medical support in the regions, $2.3 billion for mental health and suicide prevention as well as a billion dollar boost for women’s safety.”
Among funding for NSW in tonight’s Budget:

  • $3.3 billion for priority road projects including $2 billion for the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow, $500 million for the Princes Highway, including the Jervis Bay Road Intersection and Jervis Bay to Sussex Inlet Stage 1, $240 million for the Mount Ousley Interchange and $229.4 million for the M12 Motorway.
  • $162.8 million over three years from 2021-22 to support clean-up of damage caused by the February and March 2021 floods.
  • $51.2 million for Eurobodalla Southern Storage.
  • $4.5 million in 2021-22 for a Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund to support those affected by the 2019-20 bushfires.

Mr Perrottet said the NSW Government was currently working on its own 2021-22 State Budget, which will be delivered in June.
“It is vital the Commonwealth and NSW continue to work together. We have been handed the biggest challenge in a generation, but also the opportunity of our generation,” Mr Perrottet.

Man presents to hospital with stab wounds – Edgeworth

A man is in a stable condition after presenting to hospital with several stab wounds overnight.
About 12.10am (Wednesday 12 May 2021), emergency services were called to a home on Renfrew Crescent, Edgeworth, after reports a man had been injured in an altercation.
Upon arrival, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and were notified that a 30-year-old man had presented at John Hunter Hospital suffering stab wounds to his arms and buttocks; his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Police have been told the man was confronted by three people at the home before he was assaulted and stabbed.
Detectives have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and how the man came to be injured.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the nearby area between 11.30pm yesterday (Tuesday 11 May 2021) and 12.30am today, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact Belmont Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Man issued infringement for offensive conduct – Newcastle

A man has been issued an infringement notice following an investigation into an alleged spitting incident at Newcastle last week.
A man is alleged to have spat on the footpath outside a courthouse on Hunter Street, Newcastle, on Friday 7 May 2021.
Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District, assisted by Mt Druitt Police Area Command, commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, a 38-year-old man attended Waratah Police Station today (Tuesday 11 May 2021), where he was issued with a criminal infringement notice for offensive conduct.

Greens: Evidence-based respectful relationships education works

The Australian Greens have welcomed today’s release of the positive evaluation of Our Watch’s primary school education program, Respectful Relationships Education to Prevent Gender-Based Violence, and called on the government to fund a national roll out.
Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, Senator Larissa Waters said: 
“Spoiler alert, evidence-based respectful relationships education works – not milkshake metaphors.
“Our Watch’s pilot programs in Queensland and Victoria, delivering age appropriate, whole-of-school and evidence-based respectful relationships, have been evaluated as successful.
“To address the crisis of violence against women and girls, the federal government should fund a national rollout of Our Watch’s program. All students, no matter which school they attend should get the benefit of learning about respect, gender equality and not letting their career aspirations be limited by their gender.
“Wasting millions of public dollars on an ineffective and confusing milkshake video was shameful, when that money should be spent on programs with proven outcomes.
“The Respect@Work report recommendations, accepted by this government, called for investment in expert-designed, whole-of-school respectful relationships programs to help end the cycle of violence by addressing what lies behind it – gender stereotypes and gender inequality.
“The PM now needs follow through in next week’s budget and include $190 million to support a national roll out of Our Watch’s effective respectful relationships training program.”
Greens spokesperson for Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said:
“The government has a bad track record on respectful relationships education, but funding a national rollout of Our Watch’s program would be a big step in the right direction.
“Urgent investment is required in whole-of-school programs that tackle the issues clearly and are known to work.
“School education is as much about ensuring young people become respectful members of the community as it is about learning the ‘hard’ skills and knowledge required for the modern world.”