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What the Australian Government is spending On WOMEN.
Quick Reference Guide
Overview of new initiatives
The Australian Government’s Budget for 2006-07 advances and
consolidates initiatives to improve women’s wellbeing. Measures
of particular interest to women are:
WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES
A new comprehensive tax plan
Significant and far reaching tax cuts, at a cost of $36.7 billion
over 4 years through a new comprehensive tax plan will deliver reduced
personal income tax for all tax payers. The significant increase
in the Low Income Tax Offset and reduction in Medicare shade out
rate will provide substantial benefits to low income earners, particularly
those in casual or part-time work the majority of whom are women.
Families
$993.3 million over four years to raise the amount that families
can earn to $40,000 before their Family Tax Benefit Part A payments
begin to be affected, benefiting almost half a million families.
Extension of the Large Family Supplement to families with three or
more children (previously four or more children), at a cost of $496.7
million over four years. This will provide additional assistance
to nearly 350,000 Australian families with an extra $248 a year.
Child care
$60.2 million over four years to remove the cap on Outside School
Hours Care Places and Family Day Care places to make these sectors
more responsive to demand, assisting women’s choices about
their work and child care arrangements.
An extra $9.4 million in 2006-07 for Jobs, Education and Training
(JET) Child Care, plus continued top up funding of $3.7 million per
year to 2009-10 to assist parents on income support with child care
costs while they develop skills needed in the workforce.
Carers
To recognise the special, selfless contribution carers make, the
Budget will deliver those receiving a Carer Payment a one-off lump
sum payment of $1,000 in 2005-06 and for those receiving Carer Allowance
there will be a one off lump sum payment of $600 this financial year.
OLDER AUSTRALIANS
An additional one off payment of just over $100 to older Australians,
including aged and service pensioners and self funded retirees eligible
for a Seniors Concession allowance will be paid by 30 June 2006.
A simplified and streamlined superannuation plan will give greater
flexibility as to how and when superannuation can be drawn down,
is expected to increase retirement incomes and will improve incentives
for older Australians to stay in the workforce. At the core is a
proposal to exempt Australians’ aged 60 or over from any tax
on their end benefits where these are paid from a taxed superannuation
fund. As women have lower average superannuation benefits than men,
the proposed plan is expected to result in better retirement incomes
for women over time.
WOMEN AND SMALL BUSINESS
Changes to the capital gains tax small business concessions will
reduce compliance costs and increase eligibility, particularly benefiting
individual women small business owners and partners in small businesses.
HEALTH
Pregnancy Counselling and Support
$35.6 million over four years for a new Medicare item for professional
and non-directive pregnancy support counselling by GPs and other
health professionals.
$15.5 million over four years for a National Pregnancy Support Telephone
Helpline providing professional and non-directive advice.
Respite Carers
More than $224.7 million over the next five years will go towards
respite care to assist families and carers (the majority of whom
are women) of people with a mental illness.
TRAINING
$10.6 million over four years to extend incentives for employers
of higher level New Apprentices in key growth areas such as child
care and health.
$30.6 million over four years to expand and improve nurse training
and $93.2 million over four years for 1,000 additional higher education
nursing places each year from 2007.
WOMEN’S SAFETY
To assist victims of domestic violence who leave a violent relationship
remain secure in their own home, the Australian Government will extend
the eligibility for Crisis Payments for victims of domestic violence
for changing locks and related expenses in existing residences from
January 2007.
INDIGENOUS WOMEN
Family Income Management
The government is extending its support for Indigenous families to
manage their financial resources. This can provide stability within
families and in turn reduce the level of family violence in indigenous
communities.
Community Leadership
We will expand the Indigenous Women’s Development Programme
introduced in the 2004-05 budget, including providing leadership
training to up to 10 organisations with a primary focus on indigenous
women’s development.
$10.7 million over four years to continue the Family and Community
Networks Initiative to encourage sustainable development of communities.
OVERSEAS AID PROGRAMME
Support for the Vanuatu Women’s Centre committee on violence
against women.
Continued funding of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.
Increasing opportunities for economic and livelihood opportunities
for vulnerable Palestinians, especially women.
Promoting awareness of gender issues in Papua New Guinea.
Programmes aimed at reducing people trafficking in South-East Asia.
Supporting women from the Asia-Pacific to undertake post-graduate
study in Australia.
Promotion of gender equality, including the United Nations Women’s
Fund, United Nations Population Fund and the Pacific Islands Forum.
http://ofw.facs.gov.au/publications/budget2006/quick_reference_guide.htm
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