00:00A chipper treasurer with a budget largely focused on damage control.
00:08We know that we need to rebuild our economy and this budget today starts us down that path.
00:14Despite the Northern Territory's tiny population, the NT has racked up the highest net debt per capita
00:21out of all Australian states and territories, projected to reach more than $12 billion next financial year
00:28and potentially hitting nearly $14 billion by 2029.
00:34Although the Commonwealth covers 71% of the NT government's costs,
00:39the Territory's treasurer is asking for more.
00:42The federal government has only given us enough GST money really as maintenance money.
00:47Big ticket items include a $60 million increase for corrections,
00:51bringing the department's total budget to a record $495 million.
00:57And $2.3 billion for health services across the Territory,
01:03mostly supported by a boost in Commonwealth funding.
01:07There's little in the budget for tourism,
01:09with funding for tourism events and screen production taking a $4 million hit.
01:15Minerals industry representatives pleased by the NT government's focus on gas and mining projects.
01:22Wherever there's a local mine, that local community really does benefit from the money that's being spent there.
01:28The heads of social services that rely on government funding gathered to dissect the details.
01:34There's a lot to be pleased about.
01:35We're really pleased that the government has continued a lot of the services and programs
01:40that have been established over the last few years.
01:42Affordable housing experts not so pleased.
01:45We don't have the housing to support the existing population that live here in the Northern Territory
01:50and that's evidenced by those wait lists in the urban centres.
01:54We have a huge amount of people on those wait lists and they're up to 10 years.
01:58The Northern Territory has the highest rates of domestic family and sexual violence in Australia.
02:04And at first glance, the NT government's notable increase in DV funding looks like a win.
02:10But the devil is in the detail.
02:12The $36 million in annual DV funding over five years is spread across various departments
02:19and ignores an action plan prepared by experts in the sector.
02:23They apportion it across education, across police, across correction.
02:28But the DV sector itself is a specialist sector, requires significant investment.
02:34A budget deep in the red, with a mammoth task of rebuilding the economy lying ahead.
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