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Australia’s Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney will finally consider a proposal to fund a boarding facility at a Northern Territory school to help disadvantaged students.
On Tuesday afternoon, Ms Burney said a proposal from Yipirinya School would be assessed on merit by the National Agency for Indigenous Australians and the Department of Education.
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, whose mother works at the school, enthusiastically advocates for the funding, repeatedly describing it as a “shovel ready” example of how government can make a practical difference to the lives of disadvantaged Australians.
Ms. Nampijinpa Price said she was concerned that the proposal, which would give at-risk students a bed and supervision on campus if they wish to spend the night, was being ignored in favor of the Voice referendum push.
Funding for Yipirinya School was enthusiastically campaigned for by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Bess Nungarrayi Price, a Warlpiri woman and mother of Mrs Nampijinpa Price, is the deputy headmistress of the school.
“These students come from a very difficult lifestyle. Some of them barely get a good night’s sleep and (there’s) everything that’s going on in these urban camps,” she said in January.
An opposition member told Daily Mail Australia the timing of the announcement – days after the referendum – had not gone unnoticed.
Yipirinya School principal Dr Gavin John Morris had previously expressed concerns that the project was not being prioritized due to Ms Nampijinpa Price’s advocacy.
After the announcement, Ms Nampijinpa Price said the government had “put everything on hold while it pursued its righteous referendum”, at a time when it “could have taken concrete action for children who desperately need help”. .
“The Labor government has had a proposal on the table for months from the Yipirinya school and is now taking it even further. This is either the sign of a lazy minister or a minister who is afraid to act,” she said.
Dr Gavin John Morris, headteacher of Yipirinya School, told a cost of living inquiry in Alice Springs in August that the delay in considering her application meant she was essentially no longer viable.
Ms Burney said: “Listening to the views of Central Australians is an important step and is consistent with the approach we are taking in our plan for a better, safer future for Central Australia.
“It is important to understand the current supply of subsidized student accommodation, existing expansion proposals and the needs of remote students. »
The proposals – if successful – would be funded as part of a $250 million Labor Government program aimed at improving the lives of Central Australians.
Assessments of the potential of the proposals and advice on whether the government should proceed with funding them will be provided by the end of the year.
Member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour, jointly announced the commitment, saying: “It’s really important that we work on the boarding needs and views of the local Central Australian community.
“This approach aims to ensure that federal funding is targeted, accountable and aligned with community needs.”
Education Minister Jason Clare also supported the initiative. A spokesperson for Mr Clare said: “The assessment will consider existing proposals to establish, expand or improve boarding schools to achieve the best outcome for the entire Central Australian community.
“The government has listened to the local community on these important issues.”
But it is not certain that the proposal is still viable.
Ms Burney said a proposal from Yipirinya School would be assessed on merit by the National Agency for Indigenous Australians and the Department of Education.
Dr Morris told a cost of living inquiry in Alice Springs in August that the delay in considering her application meant it was essentially no longer viable.
The project was initially valued at $8 million and the school hoped to receive some of the money quickly as part of the government’s commitment to help Alice Springs.
But with long lead times often stretching into months and years, Dr Morris said: “by the time you put the shovel in the ground (after getting approval), there has been a huge increase in cost.
As for the boarding school, the estimate of $8 million was provided in May 2022. Now, this same project would cost approximately $12.1 million, meaning that even if the government approved the initial request, it would not cover the costs.
“That model is no longer on the table,” Dr Morris told the inquest. “That (would have been) a really important piece of our puzzle.”
With 300 students, Yipirinya has 38 school buses that travel 7,500 km per week to drop off and pick up students, feeding them all with three meals a day, or 800 to 900 per day.
One of the bus routes takes 2.5 hours each way.
Bess Nungarrayi Price, a Warlpiri woman and mother of Mrs. Nampijinpa Price, is the deputy headmistress of the school and knows first-hand the difficulties the students face.
The school receives federal funding of approximately $35,000 to $40,000 per student, but that funding is limited under current circumstances. Attracting high-quality teaching staff is also an ongoing challenge.
Ms Nampijinpa Price said during the campaign she feared “the real issues were being sidelined” as the government headed “full speed towards the referendum”.
Last June, before the campaign for The Voice reached full capacity, Ms Nampijinpa Price told Daily Mail Australia there were several proposals “similar to this, around the country, from individuals from the base”.
She said Yipirinya’s request had been “on the government’s desk” for months.
“These people know the needs of their community,” she said.
“It is our duty to ensure that these proposals are listened to and, based on their merit, supported. There are problems that can be resolved immediately. But unfortunately the government is trying to put all its eggs in one basket when it comes to The Voice.