The adequacy of the Federal Government’s efforts to build capacity in Indigenous organisations will be discussed at a public hearing in Canberra on Wednesday.

The hearing will be broadcast live at: http://www.aph.gov.au/live

 This second hearing conducted by Parliament’s Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit is part of its review of Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) reports on Indigenous programs released over the past year.

 The ANAO’s audit (No.26 2011–12) on Capacity Development for Indigenous Service Delivery called for more attention to be given to support capacity in Indigenous organisations, including reforms to funding arrangements and the development of a whole-of-government strategy.

 There are around 9000 Indigenous organisations across Australia which together received an estimated $1.34 billion in grant funding in 2010–11 from the three government departments under audit: the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; and the Department of Health and Ageing.

 Committee chair Rob Oakeshott MP said funding to Indigenous organisations is used to deliver crucial services including child care, aged care, family services, and employment services—all of which are particularly important in remote areas.

 “The need to support the capacity of Indigenous organisations has been identified time and time again in many government reviews and reports,” Mr Oakeshott said.

 “This inquiry is about making sure the Government’s efforts in capacity development are as effective as possible to help improve outcomes for Indigenous people.”

 The three departments will appear at the hearing alongside the ANAO on Wednesday, 13 March 2013 from 12.15 to 1 pm in Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra.

 More information about the hearing can be found at the committee’s website www.aph.gov.au/jcpaa under ‘Review of Auditor-General’s Reports’.

The hearing will be broadcast live at: http://www.aph.gov.au/live

For media comment: please contact Committee Chair, Rob Oakeshott MP, on
(02) 6584 2911.

For information about the hearing: please contact the committee secretariat by telephone (02) 6277 4615, e-mail jcpaa@aph.gov.au, or visit the committee website http://www.aph.gov.au/jcpaa.