LEGAL SYSTEM AND SERVICES
Family services to regional Australia
The Australian Government has committed an additional $397.2 million over four years from 2005-06 for a package of reforms to the family law system. The reforms aim to enhance family relationships and to help separated families. Many of the new services will be accessible to rural, regional and Indigenous communities.
Central to the Australian Government's initiatives is a new network of 65 Family Relationship Centres to be established over three years. The centres will provide a range of information and referral to services that can help prevent family separation or help deal with separation. The centres will also provide advice about the family law system and about developing parenting plans and help parents to reach agreement on parenting arrangements after family separation. The centres will provide outreach facilities to rural centres and will be supported by a national advice line and website.
Other services to assist families have also been expanded. These include early intervention services including additional family relationship education services and 35 counselling and family relationship skills training services. An additional 15 services under the Contact Orders Programme and 30 additional children’s contact services will assist parents who are having ongoing difficulties with contact arrangements with their children following separation.
Specific focus is also given to men’s related services, such as Men’s Line Australia, improving the ability for men in regional areas to access relationship services. Several of the 45 new men and family relationship services will be located in regional areas.
The new budget measures are in response to the report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Community Affairs Every Picture Tells a Story. The Australian Government will also be introducing amendments to the Family Law Act which will aim to promote sharing of parental responsibility after separation and make the court system less adversarial and easier to navigate. The reforms will be supported by a community education campaign.
Regional Primary Dispute Resolution Services
Primary dispute resolution services include counselling, mediation and conciliation. These services are aimed at helping separating families resolve their family law disputes themselves, rather than going to court. Funding is provided to 25 community-based organisations in 35 regional areas across Australia for the provision of primary dispute resolution services. In almost two thirds of the regions, organisations provide out-reach services in addition to services in the regional centres in which they are located. A total of $2.1 million is provided in 2005-06 to continue the programme.
Australian Law Online
Australian Law Online includes the Family and Regional Law Hotlines and the Family Law Online portal. People in regional areas can access the Family Law Hotline and Family Law Online to obtain information about the family law system and services. The Regional Law Hotline is a free telephone service specifically for people in non-metropolitan areas who require simple legal advice or information. The Attorney-General's Department is also developing a law and justice portal to be referred to as Australian Law Online. A total of $1.4 million is provided in 2005-06 to continue the programme.
Emergency management
Australia is a nation prone to a range of hazards, including fire, flood, heatwave, severe storm, cyclone, earthquake, and the potential threat to Australia from terrorism.
The Australian Government policy initiative Working Together to Manage Emergencies, announced in September 2004, is recognition of the need to develop self-reliance at both the community and local government level in order to enhance community safety. Implementation of the commitment will be undertaken through programme partnerships between the Australian, state and territory governments, local authorities and emergency services sector volunteers.
Working Together to Manage Emergencies provides $49 million in funding over four years, commencing in 2004-05, to support local governments, communities and volunteer organisations to develop strategies to improve community safety and to improve training for volunteers involved in emergency management. The initiative comprises two fully funded Australian Government grant schemes:
- A Local Grant Scheme for local councils and communities.
- A National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund.
Local Grants Scheme
The Local Grants Scheme is intended to enhance the capability of communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and emergencies arising from any hazard. The scheme will provide funding to assist communities to develop and implement community emergency risk management initiatives, enhance protective measures for critical infrastructure and provide emergency management and security awareness training. In the context of this scheme, ‘community’ includes local councils, remote and Indigenous communities.
National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund
The National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund has been established to provide assistance for volunteer organisations to undertake projects that will boost recruitment, skills and training of volunteers at the frontline of emergency management. This fund recognises the significant role that Australia’s national emergency services volunteer pool plays in assisting the community to respond to and recover from the effects of the range of hazards to which they are vulnerable.
Native Title Resourcing
The Australian Government has committed an additional $72.9 million over four years (commencing 2005-06 to 2008-09) for native title resourcing. This funding will be directed to the Federal Court, National Native Title Tribunal, Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination in the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and the Attorney-General’s Department to continue improving the operation of the native title system.
The additional $72.9 million will contribute to building a more efficient native title system that is increasingly focused on resolving native title issues through agreement-making and mediation, rather than costly and protracted litigation. More efficient resolution of native title matters will benefit all members of the community, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, including those living in rural and regional areas. For example, the successful resolution of native title issues will facilitate the use and development of land, including exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, which will contribute to the development of the rural and regional economy.
National Community Crime Prevention
The Australian Government has increased the funds available under the National Community Crime Prevention Programme (NCCPP) to $58 million over four years (commencing 2004-05 to 2007-08). The centrepiece of the NCCPP is a national community grants scheme providing funding for grass roots projects designed to enhance community safety and crime prevention by preventing or reducing crime and anti‑social behaviour, improving community safety and security, and reducing the fear of crime. Over $5 million was awarded in the first round of grants announced in July and September 2004.