List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.76The committee recommends that the House of Representatives and the Senate reconstitute a Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia in the 48th Parliament.

Recommendation 2

2.80The committee recommends that the Office of Northern Australia work with the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia and the Northern Australia Universities Alliance to collate, analyse and publish data about Northern Australia, and develop a data collection and implementation plan to assist with policy development.

Recommendation 3

3.104The committee recommends that the Office of Northern Australia identify and advocate for funding from available nation building projects where there are demonstrable economic and social benefits.

Recommendation 4

3.110The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with Northern Australian state and territory governments to increase the delivery of vocational training in the secondary school system.

Recommendation 5

3.111The committee recommends that the Office of Northern Australia work with relevant government departments to ensure that training and skill development programs in Northern Australia are designed in conjunction with local communities and delivered flexibly and according to local needs.

Recommendation 6

4.132The committee recommends that the Office of Northern Australia work closely with the National Indigenous Australians Agency and other relevant government departments to:

recover and revive the community jobs and associated work ethic and social capital that were developed under the former Community Development Employment Program and which were lost as a result of the abandoning of that program;

in particular, ensure that the program to replace the Community Development Program provides for program participants to be paid wages under employment contracts with community-based employers for stipulated work undertaken (rather than participants being recipients of a government transfer payment), and that participants be eligible for superannuation and 'top-up' payments;

design programs which will empower local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Northern Australia to better meet their essential service delivery needs; and

encourage and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Northern Australia to develop innovative and sustainable workforce training and enterprise development models.

Recommendation 7

5.67The committee recommends that the Australian Government:

extend and maintain the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility for the foreseeable future beyond its currently scheduled wind-up date of 30 June 2026;

change the current $10 million threshold for loans, so that smaller concessional loans can be made to meritorious applicants; and

consider updating Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility lending criteria to emphasise and support viable projects developed to establish Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commercial enterprises and initiatives.

Recommendation 8

5.70The committee recommends that the Australian Government develop a Northern Australia Ports Strategy to identify opportunities to stimulate economic growth and leverage existing government investments.

Recommendation 9

5.74The committee recommends that the Australian Government commit further funding for improving telecommunications infrastructure in Northern Australia.

Recommendation 10

6.94The committee recommends that the Australian Government adequately resource the Office of Northern Australia to:

closely monitor progress in relation to the recovery and revival of community jobs and the associated work ethic and social capital that were developed under the former Community Development Employment Program, and which were lost as a result of the abandoning of that program;

evaluate what other policy initiatives to improve social infrastructure have worked in the past;

focus on initiatives to improve social infrastructure in Northern Australia going forward; and

ensure that future policy initiatives are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness, with clear key performance indicators and evaluation dates.

Recommendation 11

6.99The committee recommends that the Australian Government, when developing and implementing measures to address housing shortages in Northern Australia, consider the provision of suitable housing for both families and people in other situations, including young, single workers in rural, remote and very remote communities.