Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Grants

Grants Register for the Attorney-General's Department

The Department's grants register contains information on grants approved since 1 January 2009, the date of commencement of the Government’s new grant reporting arrangements.

The Department's grant information is grouped by grant program and is accessed by downloading the following:

Grant information comprises for each grant:

  • grant program title
  • the grant recipient
  • the purpose of the grant
  • the amount of the grant
  • the approval date
  • the term of the grant, and
  • the grant funding location.

Summary of Grants

The Family Relationships Services Program (FRSP)

The FRSP aims to:

  • enable children, young people and adults in all their diversity to develop and sustain safe, supportive and nurturing family relationships
  • minimise the emotional, social and economic costs associated with disruption.

The FRSP is managed in partnership and jointly funded by the Attorney General's Department (AGD) and FaHCSIA.

FaHCSIA funds community organisations to deliver early intervention services to couples and families to help them to build stronger family relationships. AGD funds community organisations to deliver post separation services to couples and families contemplating separation and/or experiencing separation and divorce to family relationships.

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Legal aid for Indigenous Australians program

The Australian Government's Legal Aid for Indigenous Australians (LEGA) program supports the provision of culturally sensitive legal aid services to Indigenous Australians. It provides funding for organisations to deliver legal aid services to Indigenous Australians. This network delivers services at numerous permanent sites, court circuits and outreach locations in urban, rural and remote areas throughout all States and Territories.

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Law and Justice Advocacy Development Program

The Law and Justice Advocacy Development Program (LJAD) supports the advancement of the legal rights of Indigenous Australians by funding groups to pursue advocacy, research and community-level education.

It provides funding for a range of activities that promote improved law and justice outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Funding is allocated in accordance with LJAD's program guidelines to activities including Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees, Deaths in Custody Monitoring Units and research.

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Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice Program

The Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department provides funding through the Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice Program (PDRR) to develop and undertake activities that will divert Indigenous Australians away from adverse contact with the legal system. The program is also intended to facilitate activities that will rehabilitate and support Indigenous Australians who have been incarcerated or are in custody.

The program compliments the other Indigenous law and justice programs and seeks to fund activities that will lessen the need for legal aid. Early resolution of disputes, including through restorative justice practices, with greater involvement of agencies, the victims, offenders, and Indigenous communities is encouraged.

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Family Violence Prevention Legal Services

The Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department provides funding for the Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) program to assist Indigenous adults and children who are victims of family violence, including sexual abuse, or who are at immediate risk of such violence.

The Family Violence Prevention Legal Services program is complemented by other Indigenous law and justice programs.

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Financial Assistance towards Legal Costs and Related Expenses

The Australian Government provides direct financial assistance under a number of schemes to people requiring help to address matters involving Commonwealth law, or in circumstances that give rise to a special Commonwealth interest and legal aid is not available.

The Financial Assistance Section is responsible for administering a range of statutory and non-statutory financial assistance schemes.

The Attorney-General has delegated power to officers in the Legal Assistance Branch to authorise financial assistance to eligible applicants. Applications can be made throughout the year and will be assessed upon receipt by the Attorney-General's Department. The majority of schemes have guidelines which include hardship and reasonableness tests for eligibility.

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National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund

Australia’s pool of emergency management response and recovery volunteers numbering some 350,000 plays a vital role in assisting communities to manage the full range of emergencies and disasters.

The National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund (NEVSF) provides funding to emergency management response and recovery agencies with a large volunteer component to support projects developed to boost the recruitment, retention and training of volunteers at the frontline of emergency management. Grants are available to any agency that has a defined role in State or Territory Response or Recovery Plans and member agencies of the Australian Emergency Management Volunteer Forum.

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Services to Territories

Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory

The Attorney-General's Department provides the Government with strategic policy advice in relation to the Commonwealth's interests in these two self-governing Territories:

  • Australian Capital Territory
  • Northern Territory

The Attorney-General's Department manages the Commonwealth's residual responsibilities for these territories. This includes:

  • providing advice on governance and the Commonwealth's planning responsibilities in the ACT,
  • developments in the self-government legislation for the ACT and NT to keep it relevant and effective.

The Government's vision for Australia's self-governing territories is for increasing sustainable economic prosperity combined with effective governance and constitutional development consistent with the national interest. The Department contributes to achieving these outcomes by providing the Government with the following services:

  • development of policy and legislation to maintain effective systems of self-government in the ACT and the Northern Territory
  • assessment of and policy advice on the effectiveness of Commonwealth policies programs and practices in supporting the economic development of the Territories
  • policy and legislative advice on the role of the Commonwealth in planning of the National Capital.

Indian Ocean Territories (IOT)

The provision of Australian Government services to the IOT are the responsibility of the relevant Australian Government agency within their portfolios eg. customs, quarantine and taxation. The Attorney-General's Department has overall responsibility for the Territories including the provision of State Government-type services.

The Australian Government provides funding for the IOT to support community consultation and liaison in respect of services provided through WA State Agencies.

The services include:

  • distribution and translation of information for the Christmas Island community concerning State Government-type services
  • reporting of community views in relation to SDA
  • maintenance of information displays on government services including a list of WA State Government Agencies and functions delivered through SDA and
  • distribution of general information in relation to the provision of State level-type services.

Jervis Bay

Located in the Territory, the Jervis Bay Administration has overall responsibility for the provision of a full range of local and State government-type services. Some of these services are provided directly by the Administration, but others are carried out under contract by ACT government agencies, NSW government agencies and private contractors. The Administration also plays an important role in the liaison between the various groups within the Territory.

The range of management services provided on behalf of the Commonwealth by the Jervis Bay Administration and various contracted ACT, NSW and local government agencies includes:

  • Court
  • Domestic Animal Control
  • Electricity
  • Education
  • Community Health
  • Welfare
  • Motor Vehicle Registry and Receiver of Public Monies
  • Sewerage
  • Water.

The Australian Federal Police provide policing services to the Territory and Parks Australia is responsible for the Booderee National Park and the Botanic Gardens in joint management with the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community. The NSW Rural Fire Service provides fire management services.

The role of the Territory within the Shoalhaven region is also becoming increasingly important. The Administration represents the Shoalhaven Emergency Management Committee. Other areas of interest include regional tourism, transport and environmental management.

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Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area

The Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) on Norfolk Island is one of the foremost national examples of a cultural landscape with exceptional heritage and social values and is listed on the National Heritage List.

KAVHA is jointly managed by the Federal and Norfolk Island Governments. An advisory Management Board has been established consisting of two Norfolk Island Government representatives and two Federal Government representatives. The Board's Chair rotates between members each year. Each Government pays an annual contribution to the restoration and maintenance of KAVHA which is carried out by the Norfolk Island Administration's Restoration team and local tradesmen and businesses, under the supervision of the Management Board.

KAVHA contains one of the finest collections of colonial Georgian buildings in Australia and has international significance as an architectural record of convict settlement from 1788 to 1855. Although many of the original buildings have been lost through demolition, neglect or natural disasters, the remaining buildings and ruins have been stabilised by a program of restoration and conservation begun in the early 1970s.

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Outcome 3 Departmental Funds – Norfolk Island Administration

Norfolk Island's self-governing status is similar to that of Australia's mainland Territories - the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT). The major difference is that the Norfolk Island Government and Legislative Assembly have greater legislative and executive powers and responsibilities - such as in respect of immigration, customs and quarantine.

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Safer Suburbs Plan

The $15 million Safer Suburbs Plan was announced during the 2007 election campaign and aims to address crime and anti social behaviour by funding important community safety measures such as closed circuit television systems and street lighting.

A number of State/Territory and local governments along with community organisations have been asked to develop 25 projects around the country. These range from relatively straight forward installation of security related infrastructure through to complex multi million dollar projects.

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Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 – section 298 payment

Overview of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (the Act) was passed on 11 October 2002 and came into operation on 1 January 2003.

The Act provides a scheme to trace, restrain and confiscate the proceeds of crime against Commonwealth Law. In some circumstances it can also be used to confiscate the proceeds of crime against foreign law or the proceeds of crime against State law (if those proceeds have been used in a way that contravenes Commonwealth law).

The new Act also provides a scheme that allows confiscated funds to be given back to the Australian community in an endeavour to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of crime in Australia.

What Can Be Funded under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002?

Subsection 298(1) of the Act provides that the Australian Government may approve a program for the expenditure, in a particular financial year, of money standing to the credit of the Confiscated Assets Account (CAA). These funds may be approved for one of the four following purposes:

  • crime prevention measures
  • law enforcement measures
  • measures relating to treatment of drug addiction, or
  • diversionary measures relating to the illegal use of drugs.

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Services to the Jervis Bay Territory - National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

NAIDOC originally stood for 'National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee'. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself. To find out more about the origins of NAIDOC Week, visit NAIDOC history.

For many years, the Australian Government has supported national NAIDOC celebrations as well as providing grants through Indigenous Coordination Centres to fund local celebrations.

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Grants to Australian Organisations Program (GAOP)

The Grants to Australian Organisations Program has two functions:

  1. it funds the Commonwealth's contributions to Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) programs, and
  2. with the funds remaining, it enables the Attorney-General to provide grants to a limited number of organisations with projects or activities that contribute to the pursuit of an equitable and accessible system of federal civil justice.

The SCAG contributions are standing payments approved by the Attorney-General through the SCAG process. Approval of other grants is a matter for the Attorney-General's discretion, having regard to funds available and competing proposals.

Further information on the program and the grant application process is available at the Department's GAOP webpage.

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