Australia to spend $813 million to address Indigenous disadvantage

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s government on Thursday pledged $813 million to address Indigenous disadvantage, including compensation to thousands of mixed-race children who were taken from their families over decades.

The $279.7 million to be used to compensate the so-called Stolen Generations by 2026 is the most expensive component of the package aimed at boosting Indigenous living standards.

The compensation of up to $55,400 in a lump sum plus up to $5,200 for expenses such as psychological counselling will only be available to mixed-race children who had been under direct federal government control in the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Jervis Bay Territory.

Most members of the Stolen Generations had been under state government control when they were separated from their Indigenous mothers under decades of assimilation policies that ended as recently as the 1970s.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the compensation was a recognition of the harm caused by forced removal of children from families.

“This is a long-called-for step recognizing the bond between healing, dignity, and the health and well-being of members of the Stolen Generations, their families and their communities,” Morrison told Parliament.

“To say formally not just that we’re deeply sorry for what happened, but that we will take responsibility for it,” Morrison added.