ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Council in Alice Springs, Brahminy Foundation and Balunu Foundation in the Top End …
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes.
Mr WOOD: Can you give us what financial assistance you have given them over the last three years?
You may not have given them over the entire last few years, because the money started flowing into
these providers the year before the election. How often do these organisations report to the Northern
Territory government? Any idea how many camps were run, how many youth attended and, because
you put money into these providers, do you see the outcomes where you can show us kids going
through these organisations are not getting caught up in criminal activities or other neo-criminal
activities later on?
Mr VATSKALIS: Thank you, member for Nelson, it is a very important question. The Country Liberals
want a boot camp; they want to punish the children if they make a mistake. We are actually trying to
help children not to repeat the mistake. We have all been young, we all made mistakes in our lives,
but I think a boot camp is the extreme. With the services of a youth camp we offer through
Tangentyere, Brahminy and Balunu children have an opportunity to discover themselves and self-
correct their behaviour. We have about $1m for these camps. We had immediate success with the
three camps. In the reporting period we have, we have 38 participants attending the Tangentyere
youth camp, 10 the Ramingining youth camp, and none in Balunu, and that was a reporting period 1
July 2009 to 30 April 2010.
The number of participants since March 2008 is really a good indication, about 56 in Tangentyere; in
Ramingining we had 20, and 86 in Balunu. Now, we actually have seen it changed a lot of children
coming out of these youth camps, being engaged in the community, in a positive way, not a negative
way, and now we are getting a consultant to do a review of the effectiveness of these camps, how
well they operate, and what would be a tangible outcome of those camps.
Mr WOOD: And when do you expect that consultant to …
Mr VATSKALIS: We expect to get the outcome at the end of 2010.
Mr WOOD: I have a question for Output 1.5, if that is all right to do.
Mr CHAIRMAN: Do you have any questions to Output 1.4, member for Macdonnell? That concludes
consideration of Output 1.4.
Output 1.5 – Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services
Mr CHAIRMAN: We will now move to Output 1.5, Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services. Are
there any questions?
Mr WOOD: Minister, how many of the 20 safe places, 15 remote and two urban you established are
still functioning? How many people use the facilities? How many of the facilities have phone facilities?
And, how many staff are allocated to each facility?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: Twenty of the safe places are in operation at this point in time across 15
remote communities, so the last safe place opened their operation in March of this year. At this stage,
we have year to date data that 89 local people were employed to operate the safe places, that
includes full-time and casual staff. At this stage, accessing the number of safe places, we have 360
women, with 304 accompanying children, and 34 men.
Mr WOOD: How many men there?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: Thirty-four.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Mr WOOD: All right. I have a fairly broad question but, what professional staff - this is relating to page
88 of your annual report – maybe it was answered before, but I will just – you can tell me.
What professional staff are permanently attached to the mobile outreach services which the
Australian government funds. Could you list the communities and town camp visits, and the number of
visits? How do you measure the success of the service? Is the funding running out in 2010-11, and
will you continue to fund this service?
Mr VATSKALIS: The service provided by region from 1 July 2009 to 30 April 2010. Central Australia -
19 clients, 93 events, 107 community meetings, 22 community education and five professional
development. In the Barkly, three clients, three events, 43 community meetings, nine community
education, one professional development. In the Katherine region, six clients, 17 events, 124
community meetings, eight community education, and eight professional development. In the Top
End, 45 clients, 167 events, 259 community visits, 18 education, and 11 professional development.
Mr WOOD: Okay. And the question is, will funding continue after 2010-11, and who will provide that
funding?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: At this stage, there is no funding committed beyond that time.
Mr WOOD: This is not another CDEP matter where …
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: It is Australian government funded, the initiative.
Mr WOOD: That is what worried me, that go into an agreement where they expect you to pick up the
tab afterwards.
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: Not at this stage. We are yet to negotiate ongoing funding.
Mr WOOD: Okay. We will have a continual watch, a brief on what is happening there. That concludes
my questioning.
Mr CHAIRMAN: That concludes consideration of Output 1.5.
Output 1.6 – Children’s Commissioner
Mr CHAIRMAN: Are there any questions to 1.6, Children’s Commissioner? No. In that case, we
conclude consideration of NT Families and Children, thank you very much.
The committee suspended.
________________________
OUTPUT GROUP 2.0 – ACUTE SERVICES
Mr CHAIRMAN: Welcome back. Minister, would you like to introduce the officials accompanying you.
Mr VATSKALIS: Thank you. Mr Chairman. I would like to introduce my acting CEO, Alan Wilson,
Helen Mason, Acting Director, Acute Care Division, and David Ryan, CFO.
Mr CHAIRMAN: We want one clarification, you indicated you would take questions on ambulances at
this section, is it in Output 2.1?
Mr VATSKALIS: Ambulances, yes. 2.2.
Ms PURICK: Chairman, what about the aero-medical service, where does that sit?
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