The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has welcomed funding in the Budget for housing, health and the community sector but says more is needed to help Canberrans struggling with the skyrocketing cost of living and to better support First Nations people.

While the Council welcomed the $57.2 million commitment for public housing maintenance, $30 million for additional public housing, $37.5 milllion for mental health services, and $7.2 million for continuing specialist homelessness services, CEO Dr Emma Campbell said the Budget contained a number of “gaps”.

“The Budget has delivered significant investment in the ACT public service infrastructure and workforce. The ACT Government must now ensure that the same support is provided to the ACT community sector to modernise and develop, for example, through major investment in community facilities,” said Campbell.

“While a strong ACT public service is important, we need to ensure that a fairer share of resources is provided to front-line community services who are best placed to deliver support to the community.

“Other gaps in today’s budget included adequate and dedicated funding for the government’s ACT Disability Strategy and Disability Health Strategy and a commitment to a Commission of Inquiry into the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system.”

The council said that while the Budget responds to some of the calls from the ACT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, more is needed to be done to improve outcomes for First Nations peoples in the ACT.

Rachelle Kelly-Church, head of ACTCOSS’S Gulanga program which is designed to improve culturally appropriate practice standards in community sector organisations, said the Budget had failed to address calls for an inquiry or Royal Commission into the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system.

She also said more investment was needed to establish and expand Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.

“We need to ensure there is a better distribution of funds so that new initiatives targeting our communities are delivered through Aboriginal community-controlled organisations – not just through ACT Government services,” said Kelly-Church.

“Time after time, experience shows that Aboriginal community-controlled organisations are best placed to support our community and achieve the improved outcomes that we are all desperate for.

“We also need investment to ensure that the services provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are culturally safe and respectful.

“The announcement of $12m for the implementation of Corrections ACT’s “Blueprint for Change” must include the delivery of mandatory Aboriginal cultural competence training for staff involved in our justice system so that we can challenge ongoing systemic discrimination and racism.”