Regional Goal
To have safe, healthy, respectful and progressive communities, based on Ailan Kastom and Aboriginal traditions (Communities) and strong families and safe and healthy communities that is guided by cultural and traditional Lore (Social Services).
Programme Goal
The Safe Communities goals are:
- to influence policy and monitor service delivery by other agencies
- to undertake a leading and supporting role through Integrated Service Delivery forums, contributing to the development and monitoring of standards for the provision of social services in the region. The programme will also contribute directly to some public and community safety and community accessibility outcomes through funding and support for targeted initiatives.
Badu Airstrip.
Programme Objectives
The Safe Communities Programme component will:
- contribute to the development of standards for the provision of all mainstream social services and facilities, including emergency response services, through engagement with responsible agencies
- undertake a policy advocacy, monitoring and supporting role with respect to mainstream services, advocating and acting as a solution broker on behalf of communities and the region, using Integrated Service Delivery forums
- provide direct funding and resource support for some social support services, and infrastructure, facilities and equipment, that contribute to improved safety and accessibility for communities and families (the TSRA will not provide mainstream social or community services).
Programme Deliverables
- Effective community and social services support.
- Families and individuals are safe in home and community.
- Public areas are safe and accessible for community members.
- Communities have access to appropriate transport infrastructure.
Erub Airport.
Programme Expenditure 2014 - 2015
Table 2-27: Safe Communities Programme Expenditure, 2014 - 2015 (unaudited)
| Budget $’000 |
Actual $’000 |
Variance $’000 |
|---|---|---|
| 4,487 | 4,375 | 112 |
Torres Strait Development Plan Programme Outcomes
- Effective community and social service support.
- Families and individuals are safe in home and community.
- Public areas are safe and accessible for community members.
- Communities have access to appropriate transport infrastructure.
Programme Performance
| Activity | Flag | Status |
|---|---|---|
| School attendance and learning initiatives (grants) |
|
The TSRA provides grants for projects that improve the delivery of social services in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA supported the Ensuring a Strait Start project developed by the Torres Strait Islanders’ Regional Education Council (TSIREC) to improve access to early education support in Torres Strait communities. Strait Start is currently being delivered on Thursday Island, Badu, and Poruma, Boigu, Iama, Erub, Kubin, Masig and Mer communities. TSIREC is working towards implementing the project in communities on Warraber, Mabuiag, Saibai, St Pauls and Horn Island. |
| Community safety partnerships |
|
The TSRA’s role in the Torres Strait is enhanced through partnerships with relevant local, state and Commonwealth agencies. The TSRA is a member of the Torres Strait Marine Safety Programme (TSMSP), which contributes to improved boating safety. In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA contributed to the TSMSP school-based marine safety, project enabling the purchase of correctly fitted life jackets for school-aged children in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. (See the Safe Communities Programme case study on page 116). The TSRA has key partnerships with the three local government councils in the region. In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA contributed funds towards the purchase and installation of high frequency (HF) radios to be used for improved communications capability for disaster management situations. |
| Community safety projects (grants) |
|
A lifeguard training project at the local pool in the Northern Peninsula Area is an example of a community safety grant project funded in 2014 - 2015. |
| Law enforcement partnerships |
|
The TSRA provides funding support for the delivery of legal services for residents in the region through a partnership with the Attorney General’s Department (AGD). The service is provided by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service. The TSRA and AGD have agreed to continue their partnership arrangements for a further three years, ensuring that key legal services support will continue to be provided for the region. In 2014 - 2015, 3,067 cases relating to duty lawyer, criminal, family and civil casework were supported; 8,931 cases were supported for advice and minor assistance. A new Community Legal Education Officer role was created to assist clients with understanding the legal process. |
| Social services delivered by NGOs – Port Kennedy Association and Mura Kosker Sorority |
|
Core operational and service support funding was provided to the Mura Kosker Sorority and Port Kennedy Association to continue to deliver important community social support services. With this support these two organisations deliver programmes such as child and family support services, after school and holiday care initiatives, financial counselling and literacy and women and men’s groups. Additional funding was also granted to support governance and administrative capacity building for these community-based non-government social services providers. |
| Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) |
|
The TSRA and the Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads have extended their memorandum of understanding to deliver the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS). In 2014 - 2015, TIDS delivered a schedule of works covering land, sea and air transport infrastructure on Torres Strait outer island communities and in the Northern Peninsula Area. The Torres Strait works included:
|
| Coordination of infrastructure planning |
|
The TSRA works in partnership with key Commonwealth and state agencies to secure and maintain funding relationships that contribute to key regional infrastructure projects. A co-funding initiative with the Torres Strait Island Regional Council commenced in 2013 - 2014 for infrastructure upgrades. In 2014 - 2015, this initiative delivered:
|
| Community capacity building (grants) |
|
Nine grants were provided to individuals and community organisations to encourage community safety awareness and capacity building in our current social service providers, to improve the wellbeing of communities. |
| Social and economic engagement partnerships |
|
In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA worked with key partners to improve social and economic community engagement. The Safe Communities Programme contributed to Integrated Service Delivery forums, as well as interagency social service forums. While no new formal partnerships were finalised in this period, the programme’s existing partnerships to improve the safety of family, community and public spaces were strengthened. |
| Social Services Delivered by NGOs (Grants) |
|
In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA completed a review of the performance and financial management of non-government organisations (NGOs) in receipt of significant funding from the TSRA. These NGOs deliver vital social services to the region. As a result, additional funding and organisational support was provided to the Mura Kosker Sorority and Port Kennedy Association. This support will build governance and administrative capacity to improve the delivery of social support services in the Torres Strait region. Activities funded in 2014 - 2015 included:
|
| Legend | |||
|
Not yet started |
Completed / On schedule |
Behind schedule less than three months |
Behind schedule more than three months |
Beachside BBQ affected by king tide, Sadie’s Beach.
Additional Programme Specific Performance Indicators
| Indicator | Flag | Status |
|---|---|---|
| All Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people employed in the TSRA-supported social services sector in the region have appropriate accreditation. |
|
The majority of indigenous staff employed by TSRA-funded organisations have appropriate accreditation to effectively perform their duties within the social services sector. These include certificates in aged care and disability services, children’s services, community services and business administration; an associate degree in Indigenous community management and development; and a diploma in financial counselling. |
| All TSRA-funded service delivery organisations in the region provide quality services and operate in accordance with relevant standards. |
|
Social support services are effectively delivered in the region by the Mura Kosker Sorority and the Port Kennedy Association and are operated in accordance with relevant standards under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld), and within the TSRA funding guidelines. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Queensland) also delivers legal services in the region in accordance with relevant standards and guidelines under the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department’s Indigenous Legal Assistance Programme. |
| Reduction in service referrals, response timeframes and waiting lists for social service providers. |
|
The number of service referrals varies from time to time, depending on clients’ individual circumstances. The programmes delivered by the Mura Kosker Sorority and Port Kennedy Association include the disability / flexi-respite programme and the old people’s action programme. All responses to clients and waiting lists are managed efficiently and in a timely manner. |
| Increased participation in TSRA-supported community events by residents and TSRA-funded service organisations |
|
The number of residents and TSRA-funded organisations who participate in various community events has increased to 300 compared to previous years, when there was an average of 200 participants. Some community events coordinated by the Mura Kosker Sorority and Port Kennedy Association are International Women’s Day celebrations, Domestic Violence Prevention Month, Mini Markets, White Ribbon Day, Biggest Morning Tea, Twilight Markets, National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week, National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day, and Child Protection Week. |
| Legend | |||
|
Not yet started |
KPI achieved |
KPI partially achieved |
KPI not achieved |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
- All Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people employed in the TSRA supported social services sector in the region have appropriate accreditation
- All TSRA funded service delivery organisations in the region provide quality services and operate in accordance with relevant standards
- Reduction in service referrals, response timeframes and waiting lists for social service providers
- Increased participation in TSRA supported community events by residents and TSRA funded service organisations
Figure 2-10: Safe Communities Programme Map
Case Study: School-Based Maritime Safety Education
Boating is a key activity in the Torres Strait and boating safety is of the utmost concern for families in the region. In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA provided grant funding for the purchase of 1,400 children’s lifejackets as part of the Torres Strait Marine Safety Programme (TSMSP) school-based maritime safety education project.
The project, at the half way mark, complements the delivery of a contemporary school-based maritime safety education curriculum at each of the 24 campuses throughout the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area, with each child (pre-prep to Year 12) receiving a properly fitted lifejacket and each campus provided with an educational kit comprising boating safety equipment to legally and safely travel at sea.
Torres Strait Marine Safety Programme visits Warraber school.
The primary focus of the project is to improve the marine safety consciousness of young people through promoting boating safety in the Torres Strait region, which will in turn help reduce the potential future number of search and rescue operations in the area.
The success of this project is dependent on a range of partnering organisations. The TSMSP is a partnership between Maritime Safety Queensland, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the TSRA, the Queensland Police Service and the National Maritime Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea.
Marlin Australia supplied the lifejackets at a significantly discounted price and Sea Swift transported the lifejackets free of charge to and throughout the Torres Strait region.
The TSMSP has contributed to a significant reduction in maritime safety incidents across the Torres Strait. The number of emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) activations has dropped from a high of 70 in 2008 - 2009 to a low of 29 as at 30 April 2015. During this period there has been an increase in the number of EPIRB carried by Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal boat owners.
The number of maritime operational incidents has dropped from a high of 258 in 2006 - 2007 to a low of 118 as at 30 April 2015. While it is not possible to quantify the savings in maritime rescue operations, the significant reduction in incident numbers.
Seabird rookery, Bramble Cay.