Government to reverse funding cuts to Indigenous organisations

Dozens of Indigenous organisations slated for funding cuts have been told their funding will continue in the new financial year.

Organisations previously denied renewed funding under the government's new Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS), unveiled at the time of the last budget, have been receiving letters from government departments advising them their funding is set to continue.

Amity CEO Bernard Dwyer, whose organisation worked with young people engaging in drug use and other harmful behaviours, said the government's change of mind had put the organisation under unnecessary pressure over the last year.

"It's caused instability in the staff not being sure if they had employment," he told NITV News. "There’s four people employed under that program."

"A lot of people would be at risk if this was pulled.

"Since then we have received a letter saying that we would be funded out of the health department."

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A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the funding was unrelated.

Mr Dwyer said many Indigenous organisations working in the community were now receiving notice that funding previously rejected under the IAS or cut during the last budget was being restored.

“It seems that a lot of the alcohol and drug services that were not funded through the IAS have now been told their funding would be renewed,” he said. “We believe it’s the same funding.”

Wendy Morton from the Northern territory Council of Social Services also received notice of funding continuations from the Department of Health and said she was aware of many organisations in a similar situation.

“There are lots who had unsuccessful funding applications [under the IAS],” she told NITV News.

“Youth programs were hardest hit and certainly in the Northern Territory, those programs are important."

Her organisation had not applied for renewed funding under the IAS, believing it would be unsuccessful, but has now received notification it was likely to be continued for a further 12 months.

While the reversal of the cuts was welcomed, many have questioned why they were made only to be cancelled at the 11th hour.

“I don’t understand why that happened and [it] was one of the most concerning issues we kept raising”, Ms Morton said. "I would like to think they are getting a better understanding of how important these programs are."

A spokesman for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which is responsible for the IAS, declined to comment.