Portfolio — 3 June 2026
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy made two substantive announcements on 3–4 June, combining a major health investment with cultural funding for a remote Northern Territory community. The headline commitment is $44.4 million to extend Birthing on Country services for three years, keeping ten culturally safe maternity care sites operational until 30 June 2029 [TA-260603-pmc-04553c7dd415].
Delivery will run primarily through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services alongside a small number of university partners, with the program expected to serve approximately 1,100 First Nations women annually. The investment sits squarely within the Closing the Gap framework and signals continued federal emphasis on community-controlled models as the preferred vehicle for Indigenous health service delivery — a consistent thread in the government's portfolio messaging.
The second announcement directed $250,000 to the 2026 Barunga Festival, running 5–7 June in the remote NT community of Barunga and managed by the Bagala Aboriginal Corporation [TA-260604-pmc-a41b26d9d94d]. Organisers expect more than 5,000 attendees, with First Nations musicians and sporting competitions forming the programme. Taken together, both announcements reflect the minister's dual focus on addressing structural health disadvantage and sustaining cultural infrastructure in remote communities — two streams the portfolio has used consistently to give operational content to Closing the Gap commitments.
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