Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston has today named three institutions which have failed to fulfil their moral obligations to sign up to the National Redress Scheme.
These institutions are Forrest Tennis Club (ACT), CYMS Basketball Association (VIC) and Devonport Community Church (TAS).
These institutions will now be ineligible to apply for any future Commonwealth grant funding and are at risk of having the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission revoke any relevant charitable status.
Minister Ruston also announced that a further 32 new organisations had joined the Scheme, including the AFL which includes their national AusKick program and the state AFL associations.
“When national sporting organisations such as the AFL join the Scheme they take a leadership role in demonstrating a strong commitment to child safety,” Minister Ruston said.
In addition to the AFL, the latest group of institutions to join the Scheme also includes Caretakers Cottage Bondi, Communicare Inc., Empowerability Incorporated, Holy Cross Congregation of Dominican Sisters, Migrant Resource Centre, Woodville West Torren Football Club and Youth Futures.
Minister Ruston reminded institutions that when the Scheme receives an application for an institution not previously named, that institution then has six months to join the Scheme or they would face financial sanctions.
“It is completely unacceptable that three further institutions have failed to meet their moral obligation to join the National Redress Scheme,” Minister Ruston said.
“These are institutions which know they have been named in applications and yet they have chosen to shirk their responsibility to finally do the right thing by these survivors.”
Unfortunately seven institutions which took steps to join have been found to meet the legislative requirements of the Scheme and therefore unable to join.
These institutions are Ballarat Memorial Concert Band, Ginninderra Cricket Club, Mt Lilydale Basketball Club, Mulgrave Basketball, North West Youth Accommodation Service, Basketball Association and Wildcats Basketball, Waverley.
However, the Morrison Government is committed to increasing access to redress and is supporting the expansion of Funder of Last Resort provisions to cover institutions that do not meet the legislative requirements of the Scheme to join.
“We committed $22.8 million over four years in the 2021-22 Budget for the Commonwealth’s share of expanded Funder of Last Resort costs,” Minister Ruston said.
“As this recommendation requires legislative change and agreement to share costs by all jurisdictions we are working with state and territory governments to consider implementing this action as a priority, in consultation with survivors and other Scheme stakeholders.
To date, the Commonwealth, all state and territory governments and more than 490 non-government institutions covering more than 65,800 sites including churches, children’s homes, schools, swimming centres and sports clubs, across Australia are participating in the Scheme.
As at 19 June 2021, 10, 936 applications have been received, with 6,670 outcomes delivered and 5,920 payments made to applicants, totalling $502.6 million.
For further information, please visit www.nationalredress.gov.au
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