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Last Thursday the WA State Government handed down the 2020-2021 State Budget.
Dr Jennie Gray, Acting Chief Executive Officer, spoke to the media, issuing our initial response to the budget, in the media release below. Further analysis was provided with our partners via a Budget Briefing webinar this afternoon.
Media Release: Welcome focus on people's hip-pocket and Aboriginal wellbeing
“Today’s Budget makes clear that the difficult decisions made by the McGowan Government to keep Western Australians safe during this pandemic have also cushioned our state’s economy from the impacts seen in the rest of the country and around the world.
“It is heartening to see the announced record investment in supporting WA’s Aboriginal communities. The State has stepped up following the Commonwealth abandoning their responsibilities in this space, and have committed to build and improve the infrastructure for those communities, while extending other programs like the Aboriginal Community Connectors.
“The number of police officers is set to be drastically increased. Rather than bringing more people into contact with the justice system, we need to invest in the services and community support that addresses the causes of crime and diverts people early.
“Providing the $600 electricity bill credit, while also freezing increases to tariffs and charges, will help put money in the pockets of low-income earners. This is a prudent decision to quickly stimulate spending in the local economy..."
Continue reading media release.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Budget Briefing Webinar. We have developed a Budget Briefing Pack, which contains the media release, and Fact Sheets on specific focus areas that are of importance to the sector. We hope these provide insight into some of the announcements in the budget, and the implications they will have on the community service sector, and on the people and communities we work with. The slide presentation from the webinar will be made available for attendees next week.
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