Budget 2022-23: National Indigenous Australians Agency

On Tuesday 29 March 2022, the Treasurer, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, handed down the 2022–23 Federal Budget.

The Budget includes a series of measures for the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), including:

• $636.4 million over six years to expand the Indigenous Rangers program, generating  an estimated 2,000 additional ranger jobs in regional and remote Australia, and delivering environmental outcomes for all Australians..
• $37.5 million towards strengthening the governance of Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs), including establishing a PBC Steering Group, creating a direct forum for native title holders to work with Government on reforms for PBCs and looking at ways to come together in regional groups and share skills and services.
• A previously announced $21.9 million mentoring package, including the expansion of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, funding for the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations to develop governance training materials and the provision of scholarships through the National Indigenous Australians Agency for emerging Indigenous leaders to undertake company directors’ courses.
• $1.9 million will extend Custody Notification Services (CNS) in Western Australia and the Northern Territory by one year and will fund an evaluation of CNS across Australia.
• $98 million will support Community Development Program providers to manage an increased caseload resulting from the pandemic.
• A two-year extension to Indigenous Business Australia’s Indigenous Home Ownership Program (IHOP) to 2024–25 to help Indigenous families access home loans, at a cost of $7.7 million.

A number of other portfolios across the Commonwealth are also prioritising Indigenous Australians with specific measures across health, education, employment, safety and justice, culture and heritage, the details of which are all on budget.gov.au.

This Budget builds on $1 billion of previously announced measures for the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan and the $316.5 million Ngurra cultural precinct.

Further information on NIAA’s Budget is available in the PM&C 2022–23 Portfolio Budget Statements and the media release from the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP.