A range of new programs across Australian Public Service Agencies has been included in the 2018-19 Federal Budget announced by Treasurer Scott Morrison this week.
Among the new initiatives are programs to address elder abuse, heritage protection, cyber security and anti-slavery.
Included in the mix is the Attorney-General’s Department which is to receive $22 million over five years to protect the rights of older Australians, particularly those in danger of abuse.
Under the program the Department is to develop a National Plan to address elder abuse, establish an Elder Abuse Knowledge Hub and launch a National Prevalence Research scoping study.
“The Government will also work with the States and Territories to develop a nationally consistent legal framework and establish a National Register or Enduring Powers of Attorney”, the Treasurer said.
At the Department of Environment and Energy, $35.7 million is to be provided over four years to support Australia’s Antarctic Science Program which is to include the establishment of the Antarctic Science Collaboration Initiative.
The Treasurer said this measure would build on the work of the Antarctic and Climate Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.
In Canberra, the Department of Parliamentary Services is in line to receive $9 million over four years to set up a Cyber Security Operations Centre to protect the Parliamentary Computing Network and the Digital Transformation Agency will be given $700,000 to investigate areas where blockchain technology can be used to pay for government services.
In other initiatives the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity is to receive $2.5 million over three years to build a facility in Sydney and $55.2 million is to be spent across a range of Departments over five years to establish programs in communities surrounding a number of Army and Air Force bases to provide them with access to drinking water.
The Department Of Home Affairs is to receive $3.6 million over four years to set up an Anti-Slavery unit.
