Budget Highlights
An investment of more than $6.9 million in an improved of grants management system will assist with the administration of some of the $263 million distributed to fund community services such as neighbourhood centres, childcare centres and community facilities. The department will work in partnership with Queenslanders to foster strong communities where all people feel safe, valued and empowered, wherever they live, whatever their circumstances.
Key priorities for 2007–08 include investments in:
Redressing the past
- Building on the government’s response to the Forde Inquiry, the department will implement a redress scheme of up to $100 million to acknowledge the impact of past abuse and neglect in institutions. Former child residents of institutions who were released from care and turned 18 on or before 31 December 1999, will be eligible for ex gratia payments, and legal and financial services and assistance during the application phase.
Strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships
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In order to lessen the risk of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people coming into contact with the criminal justice system, $6 million will be provided as operating funding and $1.1 million will be invested in infrastructure for diversionary services in 2007–08. This is part of a $21.3 million four-year initiative to improve services in line with the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
Improving youth justice services
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Youth justice services and facilities will benefit from a $9.2 million increase in operational funding and a $16.3 million investment in infrastructure in 2007–08. This is part of a four-year package which will provide an additional $46.9 million in operational funding and $35.4 million in capital funding to improve infrastructure and service capacity at youth detention centres.
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Youth justice services will also be provided with additional financial resources to meet growing demand. An additional $17 million will be provided over four years for increased operational costs. A total of $3 million has been allocated in 2007–08 and this will grow to $5 million in 2009–10. An additional $0.77 million has been allocated to improve facilities in 2007–08 as part of a $1.2 million four-year infrastructure investment.
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Reoffending will also be discouraged with a four-year $5.5 million package to increase bail support and community response services. An additional $1 million will be provided for operational funding in 2007–08 and this will increase to $1.5 million in 2008–09. Also $0.1 million will be provided to improve facilities in 2007–08.
A focus on early childhood education
More than $12.2 million in capital funding will be provided to establish early childhood education and care centres on or near school sites in addition to the four Early Years Centres already committed to in last year’s budget.Strengthening child care
- Child care regulation will be enhanced to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality child care to meet the high growth in demand for services. An additional $2 million will be provided in operational funding for 2007–08 and $0.26 million will fund additional office accommodation, as part of a four-year $8.3 million commitment.
Supporting vulnerable clients
- Early Years Centres, which provide a range of early intervention and prevention services for families with children aged up to eight years, will receive $5 million to fund capital works.
Enhancing portfolio capacity
- The Integrated Client Management System (ICMS), will be improved with an extra $6.6 million in operational funding and a $5.3 million investment in technology to enable more proactive case management and an improved quality of supervision for young people on youth justice orders.
- The department will implement a better business system for grants administration over the next two years to manage the performance of funded services such as neighbourhood centres, community centres, child care centres, and youth justice facilities. An additional $3.8 million has been provided for grants management system operational expenses and $3.1 million will be invested in new technology in 2007–08.
- The department will invest $16 million in land and buildings over the next four years to ccommodate the growing demand for social services.
An investment of more than $6.9 million in an improved grants management system will assist with the administration of some of the $263 million distributed to fund community services such as neighbourhood centres, child care centres and community facilities.