Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, , 5:39:27 to 5:46:18
The NIAA discusses adjustments to the Northern Territory Partnership (NTI) Agreement, including new accountability frameworks, micro-payments for delivery, and direct funding pathways for community-controlled organizations.
Topics: First Nations, Closing the Gap
Speakers: Bridgette Bellenger, Senator Lidia Thorpe, Julie-Ann Guivarra, Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Unknown Speaker, Senator Karen Grogan, Senator Kerrynne Liddle
>> Senator Little.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> And I'll come back to you. Uh Senator
>> um I'm going to ask questions about the NTI agreement. Uh minister, you earlier said that you have made adjustments to the NTI agreement. What are these adjustments?
>> Sure. I'll um I will ask uh u Bridget Bellinger to go into the details. There are many many levels of the agreement under the NA will highlight for you the specific areas that I wanted to focus on.
>> Uh thank you uh Senator Thorpe. So uh I think we have discussed this previously uh in estimates about how this is a new way of actually working in partnership and the accountability that's required um from the Northern Territory government and its deliverers as well. Uh so some of the things that looks very different in this federation funding agreement uh are the 2-year plans. Uh we pay in a rears, we only pay for what's being delivered. We have micro payments. uh previously uh if they'd met most of an agreement, you would pay that agreement. We won't do that any further. Uh we only pay for what's actually delivered. Uh we've also set up the um the framework for the measuring evaluation and accountability. Now, we're still working on that framework and uh I imagine that might be a question you have for me, but um that will actually that's been done in partnership with the peaks uh uh with some community consultation and feedback uh and the two levels of government to make sure that there is progress uh and that we're con constantly improving in the outcomes for people.
>> Uh the fed
>> Sorry, sorry, Senator Thorpe. Can I just add though that uh the difference with the NT and I know we've said this before too so I just want to put on the record for the committee uh that you do have the abinal organizations who are very much at the table now which hadn't happened before and that's making a substantial difference in terms of wanting to work with them.
>> Thank you. The Federal Financial Relations website previously listed the NTI agreement at $842.6 million. It now lists $723 million. When was the figure changed on the website? Why? And who authorized it?
>> Uh, Senator, I'll have to take that on notice. I think the difference is there's money uh taken out of the agreement and paid directly to the partners. Uh so for example, Aps will receive about $80 million and that is to build the capacity of community echoes um to actually be able to deliver uh services and take on further services from the Northern Territory government. And there is a small funding arrangement for non-government schools. uh traditionally they are um uh schools in homelands and some remote communities and we funded those directly rather than to the NT government as well.
>> So does that mean that um you've taken money off the NT government?
um it certainly is different um Senator to the previous agreement. There was no um and this is the point the minister's been making as well. there was no um coordination effort on with with APON and the the peak bodies of the NT. So part of it as Bridget has said is we're also trying to ensure that they actually have capability to be at the table which is why that $79 million was allocated to capability for them as well to be a legitimate partner at the table because as um Richard's also said in terms of that accountability for expenditure on behalf of the Northern the Northern Territory government expenditure they'll they'll [clears throat] review at the meetings that um Bridget will help chair um with Apont about sort of what's happening with expenditure across all of those different um uh schedules of the
>> Okay. If I may, Senator, it's really about sector strengthening and actually moving investment out to community on the ground and and we've been very strong about the need for that as as Miss Guavaria has stated. Yeah. And the
So, so which is so Minister McCarthy's been talking about 8 the 842 million figure in the media whilst the website says a lower amount.
>> so Senator Thorpe, I think there's the global figure that is the the envelope for NT Ray and that is the figure the 842 million figure that we use that that's absolutely correct. I think the website will reflect the money that goes to the Northern Territory and doesn't actually capture uh the funding that we do not to the Northern Territory but within that envelope.
>> So, the 119 million roughly direct basically directly going to community control rather than
>> so yeah so two pathways but yes that's
>> okay um so in terms of uh accountability for that expenditure how what's the process there
>> so the expenditure for the um
>> like is that a grants program and it's a grant. So
>> that's correct.
>> So the community controlled organizations in the Northern Territory can apply >> for this 119 mil.
>> So there's uh uh 70 mil uh which is the NA community controlled funding. So that is sitting with a pont. We haven't paid all of that money to them at this point. So the peaks get their own funding to actually administer and and be as uh Miss um Guaria has said previously at the table, you know, building their own capacity to deliver. But then there is a significant fund. Uh I believe that a have recently written out to a a whole host of ACOs across the Northern Territory inviting them to apply for that funding and they'll be working through uh getting that money out the door very soon.
Okay. sorry. I'm going to change uh now to funding pubs.