Survivors of Stolen Generation policies have welcomed a $378 million redress scheme. 

The Commonwealth has announced a new redress scheme for people forcibly removed from their families as children - part of racist government policies that led to the creation of the Stolen Generations. 

The CEO of the Northern Territory's Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation says it was “ a very, very long fight to reach this stage”. 

“A lot of us never thought it would come,” CEO Maisie Austin said.

“A lot of our Stolen Generations people felt that they'd never win the fight, that the government would wait until they all died before they did anything.”

The scheme will provide 3,600 eligible survivors with a one-off payment of $75,000 to compensate for harms suffered as children.

Eligible recipients must have been under the age of 18 when they were forcibly removed from their families in the Northern Territory, the ACT or the Jervis Bay Territory.

Survivors are also being offered the chance to confidentially tell their story, have it acknowledged and receive a face-to-face or written apology.

“What price is there to pay for children who have been institutionalised and have lost their identity, their family, their culture, their country?” Ms Austin asked.

“Some of them never met their mothers again, they've lost their hierarchy in their country.

“The main thing is, they feel like they don't belong anywhere.

“What price do you put on that?”