Media Statement - 5th November 2007
Economic development will lie at the heart of a Rudd Labor Government’s efforts to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.
A $10 million Remote Enterprise Centre will be established in Alice Springs to provide know-how, mentoring and support that helps small to medium businesses succeed.
Supporting local enterprise can help to build sustainable communities. There are a wide range of economic opportunities in areas where many Indigenous Australians live such as outback tourism, arts and crafts, carbon trading and land management, forestry, horticulture and aquaculture, livestock, mining and associated industries such as grading and rehabilitation.
Federal Labor’s Remote Enterprise Centre will support new and existing services and businesses in these areas. As part of the national Enterprise Connect network it will provide access to research and expertise from across Australia and the world.
Federal Labor today released a policy paper detailing the foundations for the development of an Indigenous Economic Development Strategy by a Rudd Labor Government.
Federal Labor’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy will extend links between, and be driven by, the private sector and Indigenous people, rather than relying solely on government programs.
Sixty per cent of Australia’s mine sites are located next to remote Indigenous communities, providing real opportunities for local employment.
A number of mining companies are now setting targets for Indigenous employment and investing in literacy and numeracy support and other forms of training for local Indigenous employees.
Building economic development in Indigenous communities can only occur if there is sound foundational education and training.
That’s why Federal Labor today also announced a range of new measures to improve education opportunities for Indigenous students including:
- Three new boarding colleges at a total cost of $40.9 million, funded through a commitment of $25.9 million from a Rudd Labor Government, and a capital contribution of $15 million sought from the Indigenous Land Corporation; and
- Funding for 200 additional teachers in NT Indigenous communities, at $60.6 million over four years.
Federal Labor also outlined plans on how it would deliver the previously budgeted $1.6 billion committed to Indigenous housing through the Australian Remote Indigenous Accommodation (ARIA) program in way that boosts training and employment opportunities.
Indigenous home ownership is a goal a Rudd Labor Government will pursue, and we will work with Indigenous communities to achieve this goal where it is economically possible.
Federal Labor will also work with Indigenous communities so they can better utilise the significant Indigenous financial assets which are currently under-valued and in many cases, burdened with red tape. Indigenous Australians are entitled to expect that their assets are used to leverage additional private investment and to secure Indigenous jobs and economic development.
Several innovative discussion papers have recently been released on the subject of tax incentives to support economic development in Indigenous communities. Federal Labor will examine these proposals as part of our plans to promote enterprise and encourage Indigenous people to move from welfare into work.
Last month, Federal Labor announced plans to invest $90 million over five years to train and employ up to 300 additional Indigenous rangers on Indigenous lands and waters. The successful Indigenous Protected Areas program will be improved and expanded with an allocation of $50 million over five years, and opportunities for Indigenous participation in fledgling carbon markets will be supported with a new investment of $10 million over the next five years.
A Rudd Labor Government will be guided by what works and get results for Indigenous Australians.