Supporting Australian communities

The Albanese Government is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all Australians.

Today, the Albanese Government has committed to support Australian communities affected by the Hamas attacks on Israel and ongoing conflict, including $25 million to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Inc (ECAJ) and $25 million to Australian Palestinian, Muslim and other communities affected by the conflict.

The $25 million for the ECAJ, to be distributed through the National Council for Jewish Community Security, will immediately improve community safety measures across Australia. Enhancing safety at Jewish schools and pre-schools across Australia is a key objective of this funding decision.

Additionally, $25 million will be used to provide direct support to Australian Palestinian, Muslim and other communities, who we recognise have also been deeply affected by the conflict. This funding will be used to support a range of safety, security, mental health, cohesion and education objectives, in response to the particular needs of local communities.

In addition, the Albanese Government will fund a series of other measures to support the Australian community, including:

• $3 million over two years for targeted mental health and community wellbeing support services to address psychological harm and community distress. The support will be delivered through the Program of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma and targeted Primary Health Networks.
• $6 million for mental health and wellbeing support to students in Jewish and Islamic schools and students of Jewish and Islamic faith in government schools, recognising the impact of the conflict on young people in these communities.
• $12.8 million over four years to protect Australians from terrorist and violent extremist online content, including support for a 24/7 online crisis response capability in our region, enhancing our domestic online monitoring and referral capability and providing the eSafety Commissioner additional resources to receive and respond to referrals of abhorrent content, especially out of hours.

This funding will promote resilience and respect across the Australian community, while also upholding the right to free and peaceful expression, and harmonious gatherings.

These measures will address both the immediate and longer-term impacts being felt across communities.

Today’s funding announcement is in addition to $50 million for 177 grants under the Securing Faith-Based Places grant program announced 18 October 2023. The grants awarded will improve security at religious schools and preschools, places of worship and faith-based community centres. Securing Faith-Based Places grants have been approved in every state and territory across different faith communities.