2020 Budget caring for Queensland communities

The Palaszczuk Government’s 2020 Budget delivers a plan for Queensland’s economic recovery creating jobs and infrastructure to protect, assist and safeguard Queensland communities.

This year the impact of COVID 19 has bought challenges and hardships for Queensland communities, both emotionally and economically.

The communities that make up our state have continued to show their strength and resilience and that is when we are at our best. 

Attorney- General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Shannon Fentiman said this years budget delivers for vulnerable women and families as well as ensuring we continue to have a strong legal system.

“During COVID, the issue of domestic and family violence was more relevant than ever,” Ms Fentiman said.

“That’s why it’s so important we continue to provide much needed funding of $152 million for violence prevention.

“We continue to provide vital funding towards keeping Queenslanders safe and ensuring we have a fair and just legal system.”

Justice and Attorney General budget highlights include:

• $8.6 million out of a $10 million total spend over four years to implement recommendations of the Royal Commission – Criminal Justice Report (Institutional Child Sexual Abuse)
• $2.25 million out of a $6.87 million total spend in 2020-21 for activities to support the Government’s Tackling Alcohol Fuelled Violence policy. Activities include inspections of licensed venues during peak trading periods in Safe Night Precincts and associated support services, treatment programs for offenders convicted of alcohol/drug related violence.
• $13.27 million to continue works in courthouses
• $9.33 million to continue the upgrade of audio-visual capacity in the justice system, including video conferencing.

Women and Violence Prevention 2020-21 – $152 million, this includes:

• $48.5 million to respond to domestic and family violence, including counselling and crisis responses, court-based support to victims and perpetrators and specialist ATSI support
• $34.3 million for women’s shelters, mobile and centre based support services
  • Since 2015, 7 new women’s shelters have been funded in Queensland – the first in 20 years
• $11.8 million for specialist sexual violence services
• $8.4 million for women’s health and wellbeing services

Minister for Communities and Housing, Minister for Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the Palaszczuk Government’s 2020 budget would provide significant investment for more social housing and programs for addressing homelessness. It will also create jobs and assist communities with their economic and emotional recovery, including through support for a vibrant arts sector in Queensland.

Housing and Homelessness 2020-21 budget is more than $1 billion, this includes:

• More than $526 million as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s capital program including the Housing Construction Jobs Program and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing which will:
  • deliver 452 social housing dwellings
  • commence construction of 832 dwellings
  • upgrade existing dwellings
  • purchase dwellings and land for future construction
  • support more than 1,540 full time equivalent jobs.
• The capital program includes $70 million as part of the $100 million Housing Construction - Works for Tradies, commencing construction of 215 dwellings by the end of 2020-21, supporting approximately 240 jobs in the construction sector, boosting housing supply and driving economic activity across Queensland.
• $241 million to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing outcomes across the State, including
  • $142.2 million to improve social rental housing and deliver housing services in discrete communities
  • $42.5 million to improve state-owned and managed Indigenous housing across Queensland, including tenancy management, upgrades and maintenance
  • $32.3 million towards the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan, including progressing new housing across 17 local Councils and establishing a Peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Housing Body
  • $18 million to support members of remote communities to access home ownership
  • $6 million for homelessness responses, including completing construction of crisis shelters.
• $139 million to provide housing and support to vulnerable people, particularly those experiencing domestic and family violence, young people and First Nations people, mainly through investing in specialist homelessness services across Queensland

Communities 2020-21 budget is more than $143 million. This includes:

• A $18.9 million investment in Neighbourhood and Community Centres (NCC).
• $1 million is also allocated to 60 NCCs for Round 3 of the Thriving Queensland Communities Grants.
• $1.7 million for NCCs to work to further mobilise the state’s Care Army by engaging 15 Neighbourhood Connect Workers to assist high needs communities impacted by COVID-19.
• $0.9 million for Meals on Wheels
• $4.7 million for COVID support for the community with $3.6M psychosocial support through the Red Cross and $1.1M for Uniting Care Queensland Services and Care Army Volunteers.
• $3.7M allocated to 24 service providers employing approximately 28.7 FTE financial counsellors and resilience workers in 26 locations.
• $6.2 million over two years through a package of emergency support.
• $1.16 million per annum provided to two Good Money Stores providing improved access to NILS in Cairns and on the Gold Coast.

Minister Enoch said the Palaszczuk Government committed $290 million through the Arts portfolio in 2020-21 as critical investment in our future, with a strong sector able to support Queensland’s recovery by driving vital social and economic outcomes for Queensland and its communities.

“This investment supports Queensland’s diverse arts and cultural sector including investment in the state’s major collecting and cultural institutions, major performing arts companies and the small to medium arts sectors, and critical and transformative cultural infrastructure across the state,” Minister Enoch said.

Arts Queensland 2020-21 budget is $290.3 million, this includes:

• $22.5 million in new investment has been injected into the sector through the two-year $22.5 million Arts and Cultural Recovery Package, announced in June. This package is a down payment on Creative Together, our 10-year Roadmap to renew and transform Queensland through creativity, delivering key actions in its first two-year action plan: Sustain 2020-2022. $12.8 million in funding through this package has already been committed to 242 applicants.
• $21.15 million in 2020-21 for the delivery of the new performing arts venue, with 1500 capacity and supporting more than 100 jobs for Queenslanders

Minister Enoch said that the Palaszczuk Government is also investing to make sure that Queenslanders have the skills for jobs now, and into the future.

“Through our $200 million Future Skills Fund, we will invest $8 million to support Queenslanders to access training for ICT and digital skilling, up-skilling and re-skilling opportunities,” Minister Enoch said.

“This investment is great news for Queenslanders who are looking for a career in the Digital Economy and it is critical that we support the rapid pace and scale of digital transformation, that we have particularly seen through industry responses to COVID-19.

“We will partner with the sector to deliver the Digital Technology Workforce Plan which will support an additional 10,000 digital professionals in Queensland by 2024.”

Minister for Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Islander Partnerships Craig Crawford said the budget recognised the important cultural contribution and invests in supporting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.

“The 2020-2021 budget is also providing support to other vulnerable Queenslanders and enhancing safeguards for people with disability,” Mr Crawford said.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships 2020-21 budget is $84.5 million, which is one component of the Government’s investment in improving life outcomes for First Nations Queenslanders. Key highlights of the overall investment include:

• $3.4 million over three years, including $1.0 million in 2020-21, to continue work on the Path to Treaty which will support self-determination and promote healing and reconciliation with the ultimate aim of treaty making with First Nations peoples.
• $6.6 million in additional funding over two years, including $3.5 million in 2020-21, to implement the Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa Act 2020 to legally recognise Torres Strait Islander traditional child rearing practice.
• $9.3 million over four years to build the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector as part of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Seniors and Disability Services budget is $2.684 billion, this includes: 

• $8.9 million over two years to implement a nationally consistent NDIS worker screening system.
• $7 million to ensure the continuation of Community Transport service delivery and the implementation of program improvements.
• $5 million to raise awareness of elder abuse, assist victims and our at-risk seniors.
• $449.7 million for energy, rates and water concessions and rebates to help Queenslanders with cost of living pressures.
• $1.974 billion for Queensland’s estimated cash contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme to provide essential supports and help build economic and social wellbeing of people with disability.

Child Protection budget is $1.475 billion 

Minister for Children and Youth Justice and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Leanne Linard said there would be a record investment of $1.475 billion to support the child protection system and its reforms.

“This is the seventh year of our 10-year Supporting Families Changing Futures reform program in partnership with the sector and community organisations, and we are committed to seeing it through for Queensland families,” she said.

“In 2020-21, we’re investing $166.6 million to continue building a family support system that provides support for families earlier and helps prevent escalation to the child protection system.”

Youth Justice budget is $281.5 million, this includes:

• Investment of $1.3 million for the expansion of the 24/7 Co-responder strike team to Mackay.
• Funding of $86.5million ($84.4 million operating, $2.1 million capital) across five years to operationalise the 32 bed West Moreton Youth Detention Centre, due for completion in 2021 and $21.1 per annum ongoing.
• $5.7 million for integrated case management, bail support services, family and cultural support services and in Mt Isa an after-hours support service.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Minister Fentiman             Inga Williams                     0439 949 719
Minister Enoch                  Debbie Turner                    0437 859 987
Minister Crawford             Benjamin Mulcahy              0419 562 389
Minister Linard                  Bernadette Condren           0417 296 116