E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Domestic and family violence; Safe Places; Men's wellness centres; NDIS.
PAUL SERRATORE, HOST: As the Territory comes to grips with where to go from here, the Federal Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth has flown to Alice Springs after being in Katherine yesterday and she joins me in the studio this morning. Amanda Rishworth thanks for coming in and chatting with me.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Great to be with you.
PAUL SERRATORE: Now, I know you've got your own announcements around safe spaces, and I want to talk to that. But firstly, I just want to get your reaction to what many people are saying is another preventable death from DV, Nala Springs.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I would say that any loss of a woman as a result of being killed by her partner is just completely unacceptable. We hear this too much across Australia and it is something that I, along with my state and territory counterparts, are absolutely committed to addressing. But we've got to recognise this as whole of community, a whole of society, and so we need to work every single day. Exactly what your previous grab said in the areas of prevention, early intervention, response and healing and recovery.
PAUL SERRATORE: I suppose the first question everyone asks is, where are we going wrong? You sort of heard there from Larissa Ellis. They're saying we're not funded appropriately. They're calling for all the funding, the $180 million promised under Action Plan two to be delivered. You heard the NT Government Minister there saying, well, maybe if things aren't working, programmes need to be re-evaluated. Where do you think the failings lie?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well firstly, I would say that we have developed from the Commonwealth, along with states and territories, a National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children and under that there are Action Plans. And those Action Plans have been developed with evidence, with a lot of work being done across the sector, where every state and territory, the Commonwealth and the community signed up. It is a roadmap, now are we going to solve this very complex issue overnight? No, we won't. There are many factors fitting into it, but we must abide by taking action in the Action Plans to make sure that we make a difference. I would note that there is a specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan in recognition of some of the unique experiences of women and children that was developed with Aboriginal people. So, we need to, of course, get the programmes on the ground from the Commonwealth. We've committed $245 million to the Northern Territory. We need to start seeing that funding get on the ground and flowing. And that's what I'm here today to announce. A number of programmes that are getting action on the ground where it's needed.
PAUL SERRATORE: All right. And I should also mention that the NT Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Robyn Carhill is also having a funding announcement in Darwin. Of course, when we hear what that is, we'll bring that to you. But, yes. Amanda Rishworth, let's talk about what you're promising. An extra 56 Safe Places for women and children. What does that look like?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: We're funding 56 new Safe Places, which are places that women and children who are leaving family and domestic violence have to go to. It will be run by the Salvation Army. Importantly, that means it's not just housing, but there will be the wrap around support services to get women back on their feet. I remember speaking with the Mayor of Alice Springs about this, A number of people saying there's not enough places for women and children to go. So, adding an extra 56 Safe Places, with that wrap around service provided by the Salvation Army is really important.
PAUL SERRATORE: And it's great, I suppose, to have more housing and accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence. Some might ask, though, what makes these places safe? What is it exactly about them that's going to make it, say, safer than going to a shelter? Like what the Women's Safety Service of Central Australia provide?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: All shelters are really important. This is an infrastructure programme that provides fit for purpose places. There is a number of shelters, but what we heard is there isn't enough places. So, what these 56 extra places does is add more capacity to the system. I wouldn't be suggesting that they are better than what the women's safety services offer. What it means is there's more places in the system as an option for people to go to. But as what's already been identified, it's more than that. And that's why we're announcing today a number of prevention activities. Funding for prevention activities under the Central Australia Plan, which actually look at supporting men understand what respectful relationships are and break the cycle, because men have to be part of the solution here.
PAUL SERRATORE: Where's that funding going to? Who's been given the money to do these? Well, you know, I suppose what they're described as sort of behavioural change programmes.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Yesterday we announced funding for men's wellness centres here in NT, stood up in Katherine with the Bagala CEO, so it's going out into community. But the services we're announcing today involve prevention services that will be going to the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit and Central Australian Women's Legal Services. That's about providing prevention support. And then we've got a number of other organisations, one that will be working in the Alice Springs prison with men to learn about respectful relationships, so there's a range of different programmes. What we're trying to capitalise on is some really good programmes or green shoots of programmes that are currently working but need the resources behind them. So, these programmes are really bottom up. It's not Canberra coming in and saying what will work, but it is an extra $9 million that's been allocated to these organisations to do a variety of types of work.
PAUL SERRATORE: Interesting. You say sort of, it's been identified from on the ground here who's actually highlighted the programmes to then say to you, Minister, these are worthy of funding. Where's the recommendations for this programme coming from?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Yes, so we have competitive grant rounds. We also have been working, of course, as part of the Central Australia Plan with the Northern Territory Government along with the community here in Central Australia. What some of these programmes are about though is getting things out onto community. One of the challenges is having nothing out in a community and so people, you know, then have to come and get services and support here in Alice Springs. Some of these programmes are about providing infrastructure out on community, services out on community and importantly make sure that more people get the support they need. But equally today we're also announcing an extra $18 million. This will be a competitive grant round for economic development in communities, once again recognising that people do want to see economic development in their local community. And this will be for sort of shovel ready projects that can support economic development in other places in other states. It's gone to, for example, facilitating an art gallery and space exploration with the local indigenous communities. So, this also has a real opportunity. What we know is that we need to provide the services, but we also need to provide the job opportunities and the economic development out in very remote and regional communities.
PAUL SERRATORE: Now, Minister, I do know our time is short. You're hearing from the Federal Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth. So, I suppose a quick answer to this one, if I may. How much of these promises are contingent on you winning the next federal election? Because of course that does loom large.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, of course these are not promises for the next federal election. This is money on the ground now here in Alice Springs.
PAUL SERRATORE: But it doesn't matter, come May or whenever.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: No, this is money that's flowing now. This is the work we've been doing over the last two and a half years to develop and deliver on the ground. But of course, our track record shows that we are committed to this, a record amount of money coming to the Northern Territory. And so, I hope that people will see the investment we've made and recognise that we're taking issues like family and domestic violence very seriously.
PAUL SERRATORE: And just briefly, you're now Federal NDIS Minister following the retirement of Bill Shorten. We were talking last week about the fact that 27 new health care and social assistance businesses were created last year in the centre. It's the centre's biggest growing business sector. According to the ABS. There's assumption many of them are NDIS businesses. And again, I appreciate you're just new in the role, but is there. There's been conversation online that maybe there's a bit of an artificial business bubble happening caused by the NDIS, caused by, of course, you know, a taxpayer funded industry. What are your thoughts on that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, firstly, I'd say the NDIS is critical to being able to provide important supports for people with disability. But I think previous to Minister Shorten, previous to Labour getting elected, it had been the focus had been on businesses and the services, not actually on the people with disability. So, my focus, as was Minister Shorden's focus, is firstly putting the participants back at the centre, making sure that they're safe and they get quality services. We know from people's experience they can have a great quality service or not so good quality service when it comes to NDIS.
PAUL SERRATORE: So, just briefly then, is it a bit of a red flag when you see 27 businesses being coming together or being created in one year to take advantage? Well, some would say take advantage of this.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, it would have to be. I would have to know what type of quality service they're actually providing. We want to see quality service provision. If businesses are setting up, providing for the needs of people on the NDIS, providing quality service, then that's a good thing. Obviously, what we don't want to see is people with disability being taken advantage of and poor quality service and that will be my focus. That's why putting the person at the centre of the scheme is key and putting this system on a sustainable footing. Other parts, of course, have been what Minister Shorten’s been talking about is getting rid of fraudulent service providers out of the NDIS and making sure that people are getting those high quality supports that make a difference. So, that's certainly what I'm going to be working on, along with quality and safeguarding. Some of the reporting from the Disability Royal Commission was shocking about the exploitation of people with disability and I am absolutely committed to stamping that out.
PAUL SERRATORE: Amanda Rishworth, I know you have a busy day ahead of you, so thanks for coming in and chatting with us this morning.