“Australia’s support of the Declaration reflects our intent to promote and protect the economic, social, cultural and political rights of indigenous people
The Declaration was drafted in partnership with the world’s Indigenous peoples, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the Morrison Government remains committed to observing these rights through our policies and programs
We are changing the way we work in partnership with Indigenous Australians and this is a message we can take to the world.
Our national framework for action to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians, the Closing the Gap strategy, is a priority for the Australian Government and demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with Indigenous communities.
I will be discussing our experiences with UN experts and other countries to harness global thinking and research to improve our framework.
Through our advocacy with the United Nations and our recognition of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we can improve the lives of all Indigenous peoples.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP, said since Australia supported the Declaration in 2009, our nation’s human rights obligations to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have been clear.
Friday marked the 12th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which established a universal set of rights for the dignity and well-being of Indigenous peoples around the world.
Minister Wyatt announced he will represent Australia at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, from 16 to 20 September, to promote the Australian Government’s priorities that partner with, invest in and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
“This year is our second as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, following the Coalition Government’s successful campaign to secure Australia a seat for the first time. It is in Australia’s national interest to shape the work of the Human Rights Council and uphold the international rules-based order.
“I will be pleased to promote Australia’s pragmatic and constructive approach to protecting and promoting fundamental human rights and freedoms both at home and abroad. Advancing Indigenous rights globally is a pillar of our membership of the Human Rights Council and an objective we pursue through a range of other UN mechanisms.
“I intend to build stronger relationships with like-minded countries by meeting with experts and leaders from around the world to discuss good practices in Indigenous policy, to share Australia’s experiences and learn from other countries’ strategies.
“As one of the largest donors to the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, Australia will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring Indigenous voices are heard in UN meetings and bodies.
1.1 National : Our Coalition of Peaks #HaveYourSay survey on Closing the Gap sent to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and their networks, inviting responses from both individuals and organisations.
1.2 National : A trial at 22 Aboriginal health centres around the country is hoping to improve quality of life for Aboriginal people living with chronic disease.
2.1 NSW : Matthew James from Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation has written an insightful article on Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing in an Australian urban community.
2.2 NSW : AHandMRC and Hitnet Community Hubs provide connection and access to information for difficult-to-reach and digitally excluded populations across Australia.
2.3 NSW : Aboriginal patient experience : BHI and the Centre for Aboriginal Health are working together to collect the experiences and outcomes of care for Aboriginal people admitted to NSW public hospitals
3.VIC : VAHS encourages seniors /elders to get active and have fun with their Senior Games
4.1 QLD : This week the Cape York mob celebrate 25 years since Apunipima Cape York Health Council emerged from a health conference held at Pajinka Wilderness Lodge, near Injinoo, in 1994.
4.2 QLD : Nominations for the 2019 QAIHC Awards for Excellence are open!
5.WA : Bega Garnbirringu Health Service receives a $3.5 million grant to help fund a new multi-storey social service and training facility
7. NT : Congress ACCHO Alice Springs promotes 9th day of the 9th month which is International FASD awareness day!
8. ACT : Winnunuga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and community Services #Historymaking turning of the soil for new ACCHO Medical Centre
9. Tas : Tasmanian Government signs the Closing the Gap Partnership Agreement between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and the Council of Australian Governments
How to submit in 2019 a NACCHO Affiliate or Members Good News Story ?
Wednesday by 4.30 pm for publication Thursday /Friday
1.1 National : Our Coalition of Peaks #HaveYourSay survey on Closing the Gap sent to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and their networks, inviting responses from both individuals and organisations.
There is a discussion booklet that has background information on Closing the Gap and sets out what will be talked about in the survey.
The survey will take a little bit of time to complete. It would be great if you can answer all the questions, but you can also just focus on the issues that you care about most.
To help you prepare your answers, you can look at a full copy here
The survey is open to everyone and can be accessed here:
1.2 National : A trial at 22 Aboriginal health centres around the country is hoping to improve quality of life for Aboriginal people living with chronic disease.
Under the trial, patients receive one-on-one education and care by specialised pharmacists working in the centres.
Pharmacist Angela Madden says people need to understand their medications or they stop taking them.
We also hear from Lorraine and Margaret who are experiencing the benefits of the program.
Learn more how NACCHO is involved in the oversight and management of several projects and programs related to medicines and pharmacy. NACCHO also provides national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medicines policy leadership.
2.1 NSW : Matthew James from Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation has written an insightful article on Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing in an Australian urban community.
Tharawal AMS provides healthcare, social and cultural support services to Indigenous Australians across South West Sydney. Tharawal AMS is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), independent of the Government, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and independent of but aligned in principle to other AMSs across Australia.
The Byala team, Byala meaning ‘lets talk’ in the local Dhawaral People’s dialect, is a multi-disciplinary team made up of 7 staff. The team is led by a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MHNP) and includes an Aboriginal Mental Health Worker, Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Worker, Aboriginal Youth Worker and a Psychologist. Access to a second Psychologist for 2 days of the week and a Child Psychologist 1 day a week.
The Byala team provides direct service to Indigenous Australians aged 5 years and older. Services are delivered in a number of modes including individual and group, office-based and outreach (including hospital visits, home visits, school visits and other service visits). To meet the needs of our target community both appointment-based and walk-in clinics are offered. 71% of the Byala team are Aboriginal.
The success of the Byala team is grounded in the fact that Tharawal AMS is a community controlled and run organisation for the local Aboriginal Community by the local Aboriginal Community that places equal importance on the complementary role of clinical and cultural staff. We are a service run by the Community we serve and accountable to the Community we serve.
2.2 NSW : AHandMRC and Hitnet Community Hubs provide connection and access to information for difficult-to-reach and digitally excluded populations across Australia.
Armidale
The Hubs enable people to connect to online services, access and share culturally appropriate health and social information.
Hitnet was first utilised by the AH&MRC as a practical tool for services to use through the Head Lice project, whereby relevant content central to the project was loaded onto the Hub and placed in the local AMS for the community to engage with. The local AMS in question has a range of projects and activities which they are enthusiastic to promote to their community through Hitnet. Another Member Service saw the value of Hitnet and included it in a funding grant application. This specific Member was successful in their application and was able to purchase a Hub for their service.
The AH&MRC engages with our Members and their communities in meaningful ways. Through a range of face-to-face, online, workshops, training and collaborations initiatives, we aim to communicate, educate and promote Aboriginal health. These are proven and effective means to connect with and learn from our Members.
Hitnet fulfils a service need of sharing locally generated content and key public health messages with Members, their staff and the wider community. The Hubs offer an effective method for engaging with the community and sharing important educational material in a timely, culturally safe and innovative way.
Each Hitnet Hub is used on average 1,000 times per year, representing purposeful interactions. Hitnet is essentially a one-stop-shop for all health promotion content. The team at Hitnet provide 3 monthly reports which provide reach and engagement metrics for their Hubs. This data can help to assess individual community needs and guide the development of health programs.
The AH&MRC have been able to purchase Hitnet Hubs for Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, Pat Dixon Medical Centre, and Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation. (Pictured above )
Hitnet Hubs have enabled Member Services to access culturally appropriate health promotion resources and online services.
2.3 NSW : Aboriginal patient experience : BHI and the Centre for Aboriginal Health are working together to collect the experiences and outcomes of care for Aboriginal people admitted to NSW public hospitals.
For the first time, every adult patient who identifies as Aboriginal will be invited to provide feedback on their admitted patient or maternity care experience during 2019.
The Adult Admitted Patient Survey asks Aboriginal people who have recently been admitted to a NSW public hospital for feedback about their experiences of care. This survey is mailed out to people about three months after the end of their hospital stay.
The Maternity Care Survey asks Aboriginal women who recently gave birth in a NSW public hospital about the care they received. This survey is mailed out to women about three months after their baby is delivered.
The results of these surveys will provide hospitals with valuable information about what they are doing well and where they can improve care to better meet the needs of Aboriginal people.
Promotional materials are available to help increase awareness of the survey program among Aboriginal people and to encourage them to respond when they receive a questionnaire. These materials can be accessed below, or alternatively, please contact us to request printed copies.
BHI published a Snapshot report, Aboriginal people’s experiences of hospital care, in July 2019 which highlights key findings at a statewide level for 459 Aboriginal people who shared their experiences of care in the Emergency Department Patient Survey 2017–18 and 550 Aboriginal people who shared their experiences of care in the Adult Admitted Patient Survey 2017.
BHI previously published a Patient Perspectives report on the experiences of care for Aboriginal people, which drew on data from almost 2,700 Aboriginal patients who were admitted to a NSW public hospital in 2014.
Healthcare in Focus 2017 examined healthcare in the context of three important dimensions of performance – accessibility, appropriateness and effectiveness – for more than 60 measures. One third of these measures related to the experiences and outcomes of Aboriginal people.
To find out about upcoming releases of survey results that reflect the experiences of Aboriginal people, please refer to our Reports Plan.
3.VIC : VAHS encourages seniors /elders to get active and have fun with their Senior Games
Seniors games is every Wednesday 11am-2pm at 2 Wright Street in Reservoir so feel free to come join in the fun. The group love to have new additions and competitors for the teams.
4.1 QLD : This week the Cape York mob celebrate 25 years since Apunipima Cape York Health Council emerged from a health conference held at Pajinka Wilderness Lodge, near Injinoo, in 1994.
Apunipima Cape York Health Council (Apunipima) is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this week. On 14th September 1994 Apunipima was established as a health advocacy organisation. The Cape York Land Council held a Health Summit t Pajinka Lodge, near Injanoo at the tip of Cape York.
The summit, attended by Traditional Owners, Elders and Community health leaders of 17 Cape York communities, included a key focus to address the worsening health outcomes of Cape York’s Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders.
From these humble beginnings, Apunipima has grown from an initial membership base of 34 to almost 1000 in 2019.
From an advocacy beginning, today Apunipima delivers comprehensive primary health care services across 11 Cape York communities and covers the largest geographical area of any Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in Queensland. Apunipima is a significant employer in Cape York with 30% of our team being made up of community-based employees.
Apunipima employs Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, Health Workers, outreach Midwives, Allied Health professionals, a paediatrician and numerous GPs.
Aileen Addo, Apunipima’s Board Chair said, ‘This milestone is a great opportunity for us to acknowledge and reflect on how far our organisation has come, and also how much more work with the people of Cape York is needed to improve our health.’
Over 25 years, Apunipima’s model of care has improved health outcomes for the people on the Cape – from closing the gap on life expectancy to dramatic improvements in infant mortality. Apunipima is committed to expand and enhance their services to deliver greater health and wellness improvements across the Cape.
4.2 QLD : Nominations for the 2019 QAIHC Awards for Excellence are open!
The Awards provide a platform to recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and organisations within the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Sector.
Award nominations are only open to QAIHC Member Services.
5.WA : Bega Garnbirringu Health Service receives a $3.5 million grant to help fund a new multi-storey social service and training facility
Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice this week received a $3.5 million grant to help fund a new multi-storey social service and training facility on MacDonald Street.
State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt on Monday presented a Lotterywest cheque to Bega Garnbirringu Health Service when he met staff and board members to discuss the work the centre was doing in the region.
The funding covers about one third of the estimated $10 million project, with the proposed facility to feature a culturally appropriate training area, youth spaces, large rooms for community information and recreation sessions, rooms for family meetings and culturally appropriate counselling, and an administration area for the management of Bega’s social and wellbeing services. The new facility will also allow Bega to grow its current team of about 110 staff members to more than 150 in the future.
Bega chief executive Clive Holt said there was a high demand for both the centre’s clinical and social services, and the new facility would better equip staff to meet the needs of the Goldfields’ indigenous community.
“This funding means we can redevelop our existing ageing physical infrastructure to a point that we can accommodate our workforce, not only today, but going into the future,” he said.
“The last financial year we did just over 15,000 consultations so I think when you look at those sorts of numbers, there is clearly a demand for our services.”
Mr Holt said the new facility would also allow Bega to expand its range of services in areas including emergency relief, senior support, health promotion and suicide prevention.
“The client numbers continually increase so there is increasing demand for our current services, but we also are under pressure to provide an increased scope of services to the community,” he said.
“There is a massive focus on mental health at the moment and we are seeing more and more demand and we need to be in a position where we can meet that demand in the future.”
Bega will work with architects to develop a final design for the facility, with Mr Holt hoping the project will be complete within 18 to 24 months.
7. NT : Congress ACCHO Alice Springs promotes 9th day of the 9th month which is International FASD awareness day!
To mark the day Congress hosted a brunch this morning at our Gap Clinic .
Visitors grabbed something to eat and found out about FASD.
Fetal Alcohol Sprectrum Disorder is the most common preventable disability, and preventing #FASD is a whole-of-community responsibility. Mothers never intentionally put their children at risk.
If you or anyone you know is pregnant, planning to be pregnant or might be pregnant, remember:
“NO alcohol is best for Dad, Mum and Bub”
8.ACT : The recent turning of the soil ceremony marks the start of the build of Winnunga’s brand new health facility with funding provided by the ACT Government.
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services is an Indigenous-led health care facility that provides culturally safe, holistic health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Canberra and the surrounding regions.
‘The new build for Winnunga Nimmityjah Health and Community Services is a wonderful example of ACT Government’s support for self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services,’ said Nikki Gotovac, Director of ACT Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Partnerships Team.
‘We recognise the experience and expertise of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to run their own services. The funding will allow Winnunga to determine how to use the grant to best fit the needs of the community’.
Construction on the new facility is expected to start shortly and will be completed towards the end of 2020.
For further information on the range of health services and programs provided by Winnunga, visit www.winnunga.org.au
9. Tas : Tasmanian Government signs the Closing the Gap Partnership Agreement between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and the Council of Australian Governments.
Roger Jaensch,Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Another step has been taken towards improving outcomes for Tasmanian Aboriginal communities, with the Tasmanian Government signing the Closing the Gap Partnership Agreement between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and the Council of Australian Governments.
This historic agreement ensures the equal participation and shared decision making by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on Closing the Gap.
Since coming to Government in 2014, the Hodgman majority Liberal Government has led the journey of reconciliation to re-set the relationship with Tasmanian Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal people are now recognised in the Tasmanian Constitution as Tasmania’s first people, we have updated the Aboriginal and Dual Naming Policy to improve inclusivity and we have strengthened the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975.
Last year, the Premier committed to delivering the next phase, guided by the principles of empowerment and self-determination, to deliver a community-led strengths-based strategy that enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to thrive.
This is in stark contrast to the Labor party, who continue to shout from the sidelines, not willing to put in the work to deliver what really matters to Tasmanians.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government will work closely with all Tasmanian Aboriginal communities to ensure everyone is able to have their say as we deliver a shared purpose – one that recognises Aboriginal heritage and culture, and one that points to a brighter future for our First People.
“ The reform priorities, and that they are being discussed in a COAG forum with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the table, as well as the upcoming engagements is a demonstration of how the conversation and approach is changing as a result of the Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap.
But this changed approach is not to be just contained to the Partnership Agreement and governments work with the Coalition of Peaks. It is to be applied to all your policy practice and service delivery.
It is a challenge for you (PHN’s) to reconsider how you develop policies and programs with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
The Partnership Agreement means that:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are no longer government ‘stakeholders’ but are full partners in the development of policies and programs that impact on us.
Primary Health Networks need to develop formal arrangements with us, through our community controlled health organisations, to agree policy and programs, based on our own structures and not your own appointed advisory bodies.
The knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to determine their own solutions must be given primacy in policy and program design and delivery.
I ask that you all consider what the Partnership Agreement will mean to your own Primary Health Network, to the area and team that you work with, to start a conversation with your team members about it, to read further about the work we are doing and set up a time to speak to one of our Coalition of Peaks members to learn more.
The Partnership Agreement presents a significant opportunity for you all to think creatively and with innovation, to not just think about what is possible in the relationship between government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but to be at the forefront of the change.”
Pat Turner NACCHO CEO speaking at the PHN NATIONAL FORUM, 11TH September 2019 HYATT HOTEL, Canberra
Hello everyone, thank you for inviting me here today to speak to at the seventh Primary Health Network National Forum.
It is testament to the changing times that you now have delegates from national health peak bodies like mine, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), attending your forums and being invited to share our own stories.
My name is Pat Turner. I am the CEO of NACCHO, and the Lead Convener of the Coalition of Peaks. Foremost, I am an Aboriginal woman, the daughter of an Arrente man and a Gurdanji woman.
Before we start, I want to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands where we are meeting today.
Canberra is Ngunnawal country. The Ngunnawal are the Aboriginal people of this region and its first inhabitants.
The neighbouring people are the Gundungurra to the North, the Ngarigo to the South, the Yuin on the coast, and the Wiradjuri inland.
It is a harsh climate and difficult country for hunter-gatherer people. To live here required great knowledge of the environment, skillful custodianship of it and close cooperation.
It is this knowledge and ways of working that continue to guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the in today’s Indigenous policy landscape.
As we navigate the changing policy environment, Aboriginal people draw strength from our lands and our customs. And we continue the cooperation amongst our many nations for the betterment of all of us. This is the approach that we take to the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks Bodies and our work on Closing the Gap.
The Coalition of Peaks are made up of some forty national and state/territory community controlled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations. We have come together to be formal partners with Australian Governments on Closing the Gap.
Today I want to share with you how a group of Aboriginal community controlled organisations, led by NACCHO, have exercised political agency by leading the way, challenging the possibilities and imagining a future of shared decision-making with governments on policies and programs that impact on our people and our communities.
Together, we are changing the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on policies and programs that impact on us: we are setting a new benchmark for how our voices are heard in the design and implementation of policies and programs that impact on us.
I come before you to not only share the story of the Coalition of Peaks and their work with governments. Importantly, I also want to talk to you about what these new arrangements mean for Primary Health Networks and for your own daily work practices.
The new approach to Closing the Gap is a challenge you to change the way you work with and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the development of policies and delivery of health and wellbeing programs.
BACKSTORY
I will start by going back, to tell you how the Coalition of Peaks got to where we are today.
You might recall the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2007 committed to ‘closing the gap’ in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians, and a range of targets to end the disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians in areas like infant mortality, employment and education.
It was the first time that Australian Governments had come together in a unified way to address the disadvantage experienced by too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
An unprecedented investment of around 4.6 billion dollars in programs and services to ‘close the gap’ as also made.
Governments also agreed to new oversight, monitoring and reporting arrangements, including an annual report to the Commonwealth Parliament by the Prime Minister.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders at the time welcomed this new approach from governments and some of us were consulted in the early stages of the Commonwealth’s thinking.
However, despite this unprecedented coming together of Australian Governments and investment and initial engagement with our peoples, we were not formally involved in Closing the Gap, it was not agreed by us and it was a policy of governments and not for our people.
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people felt that Closing the Gap presented the issue of our disadvantage as a technical problem built around non-Indigenous markers of poverty. This only served to hide the extent to which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ disadvantage is a political problem requiring deep structural reforms about the way governments work with us.
Closing the Gap did not address the biggest gap that we face: the gulf between the political autonomy and economic resources of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous people.
The policies and programs that then followed whilst making some difference to our peoples lives did not achieve their potential.
Over time government commitment to work together fell away. Funding to our programs and services were cut or not continued.
It is not surprising then, that, now ten years later, we have not made the progress against the closing the gap targets that had been hoped.
“REFRESH”
As you know, in 2017 the Commonwealth Government embarked on a ‘refresh’ of the Closing the Gap framework and undertook a series of consultations. In the view of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, the consultations were inadequate and superficial. There was no public report prepared on their outcomes.
The lack of transparency and accountability surrounding these consultations were very disappointing, but also not surprising. Many of our organisations made submissions to government on Closing the Gap but we felt like our voices were ignored.
We were worried that governments commitment to work differently with us going forward was not backed by meaningful demonstrations. And we were concerned that governments wanted to walk away from the intergovernmental arrangements that brought a national integrated policy strategy needed to close the gap.
No new funding was announced to accompany the ‘refresh’ and there were no specific actions being discussed that we could see or feel confident would make a positive change to our lives.
As the ‘refreshed’ Closing the Gap strategy was being prepared for sign off by the Australian Governments, our dismay and disappointment galvanised a small group of community controlled organisations to come together to write to the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers asking that it not be agreed.
We weren’t going away, and there were three important messages that we wanted governments to hear. These were:
When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are included and have a real say in the design and delivery of services that impact on them, the outcomes are far better;
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples need to be at the centre of Closing the Gap policy: the gap won’t close without our full involvement; and
the Council of Australian Governments cannot expect us to take responsibility and work constructively with them to improve outcomes if we are excluded from the decision making.
Eventually, we were invited to meet with the Prime Minister, who acknowledged that the current targets were ‘government targets’ not ‘shared targets’, and that for Closing the Gap to be realised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had to be able to take formal responsibility for the outcomes through shared decision making.
On 12 December 2018, COAG publicly committed to developing a genuine, formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, through their representatives, on Closing the Gap; and that through this partnership a new Closing the Gap policy would be agreed.
THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT ON CLOSING THE GAP
The initial fourteen organisations then became almost forty, as we brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks bodies across the country to form a formal Coalition to negotiate a new Closing the Gap framework with Australian Governments. We include both national and state and territory based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks representing a diverse range of services and matter that are important to us as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to Closing the Gap.
As a first step and through our initiative, we negotiated and agreed a formal Partnership Agreement between the Council of Australian Governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak organisations which came into effect in March 2019.
The Partnership Agreement sets out that the Coalition of Peaks will have shared decision making on developing, implementing and monitoring and reviewing Closing the Gap for the next ten years.
This is an historic achievement. It is the first time that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks have come together in this way, to work collectively and as full partners with Australian Governments. It’s is also the first time that there has been formal decision making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Australian Governments in this way.
WHERE ARE AT NOW
Progress is being made under the Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap:
All Council of Australian Government members, including the local government association, have signed the Partnership Agreement.
The National Indigenous Reform Agreement (NIRA) has been reviewed by the Coalition of Peaks and officials from Australian Governments.
It has been agreed that the NIRA will be replaced with a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap covering the next ten years, to be signed off by the Council of Australian Governments and the Coalition of Peaks. It will continue the NIRA’s successful elements, strengthen others and address foundational areas that were previously excluded from consideration.
New accountability, monitoring and reporting arrangements are being developed for the new National Agreement that will strengthen public transparency and accountability.
Most importantly, the Coalition of Peaks have also proposed reform priorities to underpin the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The reform priorities seek to change the way Australian Governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations, and accelerate life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, these are:
Establishing shared formal decision making between Australian governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the State/Territory, regional and local level to embed ownership, responsibility and expertise on Closing the Gap.
Building and strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to deliver services and programs in priority areas.
Ensuring all mainstream government agencies and institutions undertake systemic and structural transformation to contribute to Closing the Gap.
These reforms have been agreed in principle by the COAG established Joint Council on Closing the Gap, made up of Ministers from each jurisdiction and Coalition of Peak representatives on 23 August 2019. And they have direct relevance to the Primary Health Networks and our work together.
The Joint Council also agreed to the Coalition of Peaks leading engagements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives of communities and organisations on new National Agreement.
These engagements are happening over the next two months and include open meetings across Australia agreed to and supported by governments. The Coalition of Peaks are also consulting with their own memberships and there is an online public opportunity for people to have their say.
The primary focus of the engagements is to build understanding and support for the reform priorities and to have a detailed discussion on what is needed to make those reform priorities a success. The discussions and input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will help inform the finalisation of the negotiations on the New National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
This is also a significant shift in the approach to policy development. It is the first time that governments have agreed to leaders of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations engaging with representatives from our communities and organisations about important government policy.
Pat Turner Lead Convener of the Coalition of Peaks invites community to share their voice on #ClosingtheGap
This week a survey will be sent to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and their networks, inviting responses from both individuals and organisations.
There is a discussion booklet that has background information on Closing the Gap and sets out what will be talked about in the survey.
The survey will take a little bit of time to complete. It would be great if you can answer all the questions, but you can also just focus on the issues that you care about most.
To help you prepare your answers, you can look at a full copy here
The survey is open to everyone and can be accessed here:
This weeks feature ACCHO Bega Garnbirringu Health Services (Bega) WA
Are you a dynamic team member who thrives on a challenge, loves working with people and has a genuine passion for client service delivery? A team player who appreciates the value of an energetic team environment and respects cultural diversity?
Bega Garnbirringu Health Services (Bega) is currently seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and committed applicants.
As part of our commitment to providing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Brisbane with a comprehensive range of primary health care, youth, child safety, mental health, dental and aged care services, we employ approximately 150 people across our locations at Woolloongabba, Woodridge, Northgate, Acacia Ridge, Browns Plains, Eagleby and East Brisbane.
The roles at ATSICHS are diverse and include, but are not limited to the following:
Wuchopperen Health Service Limited has been providing primary health care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for over 35 years. Our workforce has a range of professional, clinical, allied health, social emotional wellbeing and administration positions.
We have two sites in Cairns and a growing number of supplementary services and partnerships.
We have a diverse workforce of over 200 employees
70 percent of our team identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Our team is dedicated to the Wuchopperen vision: Improving the Quality of Life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. If you would like to make a difference, and improve the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, please apply today.
NT Jobs Alice Spring ,Darwin East Arnhem Land and Katherine
3.1 JOBS at Congress Alice Springs including
Want to work for Congress?
There are a range of job opportunities available right now, including:
• Governance Support Officer
• Aboriginal Liaison Officer
• Health Information Officer
• Transport Officer- Casual
• Care Coordinator- Chronic Disease
• Lead Aboriginal Cultural Advisor
• Remote SEWB Caseworker
• Child Psychologist/ Clinical Psychologist
• Alukura Midwife
• Early Childhood Educators
• Cleaners
• GPs – Town and Remote
3.2 There are 20 + JOBS at Miwatj Health Arnhem Land
We’re one of Australia’s largest providers of Aboriginal healthcare
We’re engaging with health issues at a grass roots community level: We’re looking for passionate individuals who are ready to help change the future for Aboriginal healthcare
Nunkuwarrin Yunti places a strong focus on a client centred approach to the delivery of services and a collaborative working culture to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients. View our current vacancies here.
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services Inc. is passionate about creating a strong and dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander workforce. We are committed to providing mentorship and training to our team members to enhance their skills for them to be able to create career pathways and opportunities in life.
On occasions we may have vacancies for the positions listed below:
Medical Receptionists – casual pool
Transport Drivers – casual pool
General Hands – casual pool, rotating shifts
Aboriginal Health Workers (Cert IV in Primary Health) –casual pool
*These positions are based in one or all of our sites – East Perth, Midland, Maddington, Mirrabooka or Bayswater.
To apply for a position with us, you will need to provide the following documents:
Detailed CV
WA National Police Clearance – no older than 6 months
WA Driver’s License – full license
Contact details of 2 work related referees
Copies of all relevant certificates and qualifications
We may also accept Expression of Interests for other medical related positions which form part of our services. However please note, due to the volume on interests we may not be able to respond to all applications and apologise for that in advance.
All complete applications must be submitted to our HR department or emailed to HR
Also in accordance with updated privacy legislation acts, please download, complete and return this Permission to Retain Resume form
Attn: Human Resources
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services Inc.
156 Wittenoom Street
East Perth WA 6004
Thank you for your interest in working at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS)
If you would like to lodge an expression of interest or to apply for any of our jobs advertised at VAHS we have two types of applications for you to consider.
Expression of interest
Submit an expression of interest for a position that may become available to: employment@vahs.org.au
This should include a covering letter outlining your job interest(s), an up to date resume and two current employment referees
Your details will remain on file for a period of 12 months. Resumes on file are referred to from time to time as positions arise with VAHS and you may be contacted if another job matches your skills, experience and/or qualifications. Expressions of interest are destroyed in a confidential manner after 12 months.
Applying for a Current Vacancy
Unless the advertisement specifies otherwise, please follow the directions below when applying
Your application/cover letter should include:
Current name, address and contact details
A brief discussion on why you feel you would be the appropriate candidate for the position
Response to the key selection criteria should be included – discussing how you meet these
Your Resume should include:
Current name, address and contact details
Summary of your career showing how you have progressed to where you are today. Most recent employment should be first. For each job that you have been employed in state the Job Title, the Employer, dates of employment, your duties and responsibilities and a brief summary of your achievements in the role
Education, include TAFE or University studies completed and the dates. Give details of any subjects studies that you believe give you skills relevant to the position applied for
References, where possible, please include 2 employment-related references and one personal character reference. Employment references must not be from colleagues, but from supervisors or managers that had direct responsibility of your position.
Ensure that any referees on your resume are aware of this and permission should be granted.
How to apply:
Send your application, response to the key selection criteria and your resume to:
All applications must be received by the due date unless the previous extension is granted.
When applying for vacant positions at VAHS, it is important to know the successful applicants are chosen on merit and suitability for the role.
VAHS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to ensuring that staff selection procedures are fair to all applicants regardless of their sex, race, marital status, sexual orientation, religious political affiliations, disability, or any other matter covered by the Equal Opportunity Act
You will be assessed based on a variety of criteria:
Your application, which includes your application letter which address the key selection criteria and your resume
Verification of education and qualifications
An interview (if you are shortlisted for an interview)
Discussions with your referees (if you are shortlisted for an interview)
You must have the right to live and work in Australia
Employment is conditional upon the receipt of:
A current Working with Children Check
A current National Police Check
Any licenses, certificates and insurances
6.2 Mallee District Aboriginal Services Mildura Swan Hill Etc
Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service (GWAHS) is an entity of Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service. GWAHS provides a culturally appropriate comprehensive primary health care service for the local Aboriginal communities of western Sydney and the Nepean Blue Mountains. GWAHS provides multidisciplinary services from sites located in Mt Druitt and Penrith.
The clinical service model includes general practitioners (GPs), Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners, nursing staff, reception and transport staff. The service also offers a number of wraparound services and programs focused on child and maternal health, social and emotional wellbeing, Drug and Alcohol Support, chronic disease, as well as population health activities.
GWAHS is committed to ensuring that patients have access to and receive high quality, culturally appropriate care and services that meet the needs of local Aboriginal communities.
Regardless of where we live, or who our mob is, we can all go through tough times, times when we don’t feel great about our lives or ourselves. That’s why it’s important to always be looking out for each other.
If someone you know – a family member, someone from your community, a friend, neighbour or workmate – is doing it tough, they won’t always tell you.
Sometimes it’s up to us to trust our gut instinct and ask someone who may be struggling with life “Are you OK?”.
By asking and listening, we can help those we care about feel more supported and connected, which can help stop them from feeling worse over time.
That’s why this campaign has a simple message: Let’s talk. We are stronger together
“Nationally, Indigenous people die from suicide at twice the rate of non-Indigenous people. This campaign comes at a critical time.
As a community we are Stronger Together. Knowledge is culture, and emotional wellbeing can be learned from family members such as mothers and grandmothers.
These new resources from R U OK? will empower family members, and the wider community, with the tools to look out for each other as well as providing guidance on what to do if someone answers “No, I’m not OK”.”
Dr Vanessa Lee BTD, MPH, PhD Chair R U OK’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group whose counsel has been integral in the development of the campaign
“ I have struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. I’m 32 years old and only this year did I have the first psychologist ever ask me about my family history and acknowledge the intergenerational trauma that runs through Indigenous families.
Like many others, I have thought about taking my own life. There were a myriad of factors that led to that point, and a myriad of factors that led to me not following through. But one of the factors was the immense weight of intergenerational trauma that I believe is embedded into my heart, mind and soul and at times feels too heavy a burden to carry.
We can break this cycle of trauma. We need culturally safe Indigenous-designed suicide prevention programs and to destigmatise conversations around mental health. My hope is that, by sharing my own experiences of dealing with this complex subject, other people will be able to see that intergenerational trauma affects all of our mob.
The more we identify and acknowledge it, we’ll be stronger together “
Shannan Dodson is a Yawuru woman and on the RUOK? Indigenous Advisory committee that has launched the Stronger Togethercampaign targeted at help-givers – those in our communities who can offer help to those who are struggling ;
R U OK? has launched STRONGER TOGETHER, a targeted suicide prevention campaign to encourage conversation within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Developed with the guidance and oversight of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group and 33 Creative, an Aboriginal owned and managed agency, the campaign encourages individuals to engage and offer support to their family and friends who are struggling with life. Positive and culturally appropriate resources have been developed to help individuals feel more confident in starting conversations by asking R U OK?
The STRONGER TOGETHER campaign message comes at a time when reducing rates of suicide looms as one of the biggest and most important challenges of our generation.
Suicide is one of the most common causes of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people. A 2016 report noted that on average, over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people end their lives through suicide each year, with the rate of suicide twice as high as that recorded for other Australians [1]. These are not just numbers. They represent lives and loved ones; relatives, friends, elders and extended community members affected by such tragic deaths.
STRONGER TOGETHER includes the release of four community announcement video
The video series showcases real conversations in action between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocates and role models.
The focus is on individuals talking about their experiences and the positive impact that sharing them had while they were going through a tough time.
“That weekend, I had the most deep and meaningful and beautiful conversations with my Dad that I never had.
My Dad was always a staunch dude and I was always trying to put up a front to, I guess, make my Dad proud. But we sat there, and we cried to each other.
I started to find myself and that’s when I came to the point of realising that, you know, I’m lucky to be alive and I had a second chance to help other people.”
When we talk, we are sharing, and our people have always shared, for thousands of years we’ve shared experiences, shared love. The only way we get out of those tough times is by sharing and talking and I hope this series helps to spread that message.”
Former NRL player and welterweight boxer Joe Williams has lent his voice to the series.
Born in Cowra, Joe is a proud Wiradjuri man. Although forging a successful professional sporting career, Joe has battled with suicidal ideation and bipolar disorder. After a suicide attempt in 2012, a phone call to a friend and then his family’s support encouraged him to seek professional psychiatric help.
Australian sports pioneer Marcia Ella-Duncan OAM has also lent her voice to the series. Marcia Ella-Duncan is an Aboriginal woman from La Perouse, Sydney, with traditional connection to the Walbunga people on the NSW Far South Coast, and kinship connection to the Bidigal, the traditional owners of the Botany Bay area.
“Sometimes, all we can do is listen, all we can do is be there with you. And sometimes that might be all you need. Or sometimes it’s just the first step towards a much longer journey,” said Marcia.
Shannan Dodson is a Yawuru woman and on the RUOK? Indigenous Advisory committee that has launched the Stronger Togethercampaign targeted at help-givers – those in our communities who can offer help to those who are struggling ;
A recent inquest investigated 13 deaths which occurred in the Kimberley region in less than four years, including five children aged between 10 and 13.
When we’re talking about Indigenous suicide, we have to talk about intergenerational trauma; the transfer of the impacts of historical trauma and grief to successive generations.
I have struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. I’m 32 years old and only this year did I have the first psychologist ever ask me about my family history and acknowledge the intergenerational trauma that runs through Indigenous families.
Like many others, I have thought about taking my own life. There were a myriad of factors that led to that point, and a myriad of factors that led to me not following through. But one of the factors was the immense weight of intergenerational trauma that I believe is embedded into my heart, mind and soul and at times feels too heavy a burden to carry.
Indigenous suicide is different. Suicide is a complex issue, there is not one cause, reason, trigger or risk – it can be a web of many indicators. But with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people intergenerational trauma and the flow-on effects of colonisation, dispossession, genocide, cultural destruction and the stolen generations are paramount to understanding high Indigenous suicide rates.
When you think about the fact that most Indigenous families have been affected, in one or more generations, by the forcible removal of one or more children, that speaks volumes. The institutionalisation of our mob has had dire consequences on our sense of being, mental health, connection to family and culture.
Just think about that for a moment. If every Indigenous family has been affected by this, of course trauma is transmitted down through generations and manifests into impacts on children resulting from weakened attachment relationships with caregivers, challenged parenting skills and family functioning, parental physical and mental illness, and disconnection and alienation from the extended family, culture and society.
The high rates of poor physical health, mental health problems, addiction, incarceration, domestic violence, self-harm and suicide in Indigenous communities are directly linked to experiences of trauma. These issues are both results of historical trauma and causes of new instances of trauma which together can lead to a vicious cycle in Indigenous communities.
Our families have been stripped of the coping mechanisms that all people need to thrive and survive. And while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are resilient, we are also human.
Our history does shape us. Let’s start from colonisation. My mob the Yawuru people from Rubibi (Broome) were often brutally dislocated from our lands, and stripped of our livelihood. Our culture was desecrated and we were used for slave labour.
My great-grandmother was taken from her father when she was very young and placed in a mission in Western Australia. My grandmother and aunties then all finished up in the same mission. And two of those aunties spent a considerable time in an orphanage in Broome, although they were not orphans.
In 1907, a telegram from Broome station was sent to Henry Prinsep, the “Chief Protector of Aborigines for Western Australia” in Perth. It reads: “Send cask arsenic exterminate aborigines letter will follow.” This gives a glimpse of the thinking of the time and that of course played out in traumatic and dehumanising ways.
In the late 1940s a magistrate in the court of Broome refused my great-grandmother’s application for a certificate of citizenship under the Native Citizen Rights Act of Western Australia. Part of his reasons for refusing her application was that she had not adopted the manner and habits of civilised life.
My anglo grandfather was imprisoned for breaching the Native Administration Act of Western Australia, in that he was cohabiting with my grandmother. He was jailed for loving my jamuny (grandmother/father’s mother).
My dad lost his parents when he was 10 years old. My grandfather died in tragic circumstances – and then my grandmother, again in tragic circumstances, soon after.
My dad was collected by family in Katherine and taken to Darwin. There was a fear that he would be taken away – Indigenous families knew well the ways of the Native Welfare authorities, and I suspect they were protecting my dad from that fate. Unlike many Indigenous families, he was permitted to stay with them and became a state child in the care of our family.
My family has suffered from ongoing systematic racism and research has shown that racism impacts Aboriginal people in the same way as a traumatic event.
My family and community have suffered premature deaths from suicide, preventable health issues, grief and inextricable trauma.
We can break this cycle of trauma. We need culturally safe Indigenous-designed suicide prevention programs and to destigmatise conversations around mental health. My hope is that, by sharing my own experiences of dealing with this complex subject, other people will be able to see that intergenerational trauma affects all of our mob. The more we identify and acknowledge it, we’ll be stronger together.
‘Indigenous wellbeing is shaped by the wellbeing of the community. In recent years there have been improvements in a range of areas of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Indigenous home ownership has risen over the past decade, from 34% in 2006 to 38% in 2016, household overcrowding has decreased, and fewer Indigenous Australians rely on government payments.
Education remains important in helping to overcome Indigenous disadvantage.
The employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians narrows as education levels increase.
There is no gap in the employment rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with a university degree.
Despite these improvements, some Indigenous Australians experience widespread social and economic disadvantage.
One in 5 Indigenous Australians live in remote areas and fare worse than those in non-remote areas. They had lower rates of school attendance and employment, and were more likely to live in overcrowded conditions and in social housing.
Members of the Stolen Generations are another particularly disadvantaged group.
They were more likely than other Indigenous Australians to have been incarcerated, receive government payments as their main source of income, experience actual or threatened physical violence or experience homelessness.”
AIHW spokesperson Mr. Dinesh Indraharan.
” Many factors contribute to the welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Welfare is closely linked to health and is influenced by social determinants such as education, employment, housing, access to services, and community safety. Contextual and historical factors are particularly important for understanding the welfare of Indigenous Australians.”
” Home ownership has an opportunity to formulate the next wave of transformative success for indigenous people.
Home ownership is a key pillar on the journey to economic independence for indigenous Australians, providing not only stable housing but also an anchor from which to build an asset base for current and future generations and equity for other investment and business opportunities.”
Dagoman-Wardaman man and chairman of Indigenous Business Australia Eddie Fry oversees a home loan program that is helping increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into home ownership. See Part 2 Below
The latest two-yearly snapshot of national wellbeing uses high-quality data to show how Australians are faring in key areas, including housing, education and skills, employment, social support and justice and safety.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report Australia’s welfare 2019 was launched today in Canberra by Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston, Minister for Families and Social Services.
The report shows that record employment and an increase in education levels are contributing to Australia’s wellbeing but challenges facing the nation include housing stress among low-income earners.
‘Australia’s welfare 2019 demonstrates the value in continuing to build an evidence base that supports the community, policy makers and services providers to better understand the varying and diverse needs of Australians,’ said AIHW spokesperson Mr. Dinesh Indraharan.
‘Australia is in the top third of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for a range of measures, including life satisfaction and social connectedness.
‘In 2018, 74% of people aged 15–64 were employed—the highest annual employment rate recorded in Australia. In July 2019 the female and total employment rates remain at record levels.’
The proportion of Australians working very long hours (50 or more per week) declined from 16% to 14% and more Australians are using part-time work to balance work with other activities including caring responsibilities.
However, in December 2018, about 9% of workers were underemployed, or unable to find as many hours of work as they would like. One in 9 families with children had no one in the family who was employed.
Generally, the higher a person’s level of education, the more opportunities they have in their working life.
‘Between 2008 and 2018 the proportion of students staying in school until Year 12 rose from 69% to 81% for males and from 80% to 89% for females,’ Mr Indraharan said.
‘In 2018, 65% of Australians aged 25–64 had a non-school qualification at Certificate III level or above. This is up from 55% in 2009.’
Australia has high levels of civic engagement with 97% of eligible people enrolled to vote in 2019—up from 90% in 2010 and strong rates of volunteering (contributing 743 million hours a year). But an estimated 1 in 4 Australians are currently experiencing an episode of loneliness – with people who live alone, young adults, males and people with children more likely to feel lonely.
Finding affordable housing remains a challenge for many Australians, with more people spending a higher proportion of their incomes on housing than in the past and fewer younger people owning their own homes.
‘More than 1 million low-income households were in housing stress in 2017-18, where they spent more than 30% of their income on rent or mortgage repayments,’ Mr Indraharan said.
There has been little change in income inequality since the mid-2000s—though it is higher now than it was in the 1980s—and wealth is more unequally distributed than income.
Most crime rates have fallen in recent years but Australia ranked in the bottom third of countries for people feeling safe walking alone at night.
‘Survey data shows rates of partner and sexual violence have remained relatively stable since 2005, while rates of total violence have fallen. However, the number and rate of sexual assault victims recorded by police has risen each year since 2011,’ Mr. Indraharan said.
Welfare services and support for people in need
Australian governments spent nearly $161 billion on welfare services and support in 2017-18, including $102 billion on cash payments to specific populations, $48 billion on welfare services and $10 billion on unemployment benefits. Per person spending on welfare increased an average of 1.3% a year—from $5,287 per person in 2001–02 to $6,482 in 2017–18.
Over the past 2 decades, there has been a notable fall in the number of people aged 18–64 receiving income support—down from 2.6 million in 1999 to 2.3 million in 2018. Put another way, in 1999, 22% of Australians aged 18–64 received income support, but this fell to 15% in 2018.
In 2017-18:
1.2 million people (or 3 in 10 older people) received aged care services
803,900 people were in social housing
288,800 people were supported by Specialist Homeless Services
280,000 people used specialist disability support services under the National Disability Agreement
172,000 people were active participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (at June 2018)
159,000 (or 1 in 35) children aged 0–17 received child protection services.
incarcerated, receive government payments as their main source of income, experience actual or threatened physical violence or experience homelessness.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey #HaveYourSay :
More indigenous Australians than ever are homeowners, fewer live in overcrowded accommodation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who rent are slowly shifting away from social housing in favour of private properties.
Figures to be published on Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show almost two in five indigenous Australians were homeowners at the last census — of those, 12 per cent owned their home outright and 26 per cent had a mortgage. The number of indigenous households where the home is paid off or mortgaged has reached an estimated 263,000.
The rate of home ownership among indigenous Australians has gradually increased since 2006, while the home ownership rate among non-indigenous Australians has decreased slightly over the same period.
In 2006, 34 per cent of indigenous Australians owned their home or were paying it off.
By 2011 that figure had climbed to 36 per cent and at the 2016 census, 38 per cent of indigenous Australians either owned their homes outright or were paying off a mortgage.
In contrast, the percentage of non-indigenous Australians who either owned their home or were paying it off declined from 68 per cent in 2006 to 66 per cent in 2016.
Dagoman-Wardaman man and chairman of Indigenous Business Australia Eddie Fry oversees a home loan program that is helping increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into home ownership.
IBA approved more than $1bn in home loans to indigenous Australians over the past five years.
In 2014-15, IBA approved 517 home loans to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2017-18, the number of home loans approved by IBA was a record 917.
“Home ownership has an opportunity to formulate the next wave of transformative success for indigenous people,” Mr Fry said.
“Home ownership is a key pillar on the journey to economic independence for indigenous Australians, providing not only stable housing but also an anchor from which to build an asset base for current and future generations and equity for other investment and business opportunities.”
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report used census data to show that, between 2006 and 2016, the proportion of indigenous households living in social housing fell from 29 per cent to 21 per cent.
The proportion of indigenous Australians renting privately increased from 27 per cent to 32 per ce
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples know what works best for us and now the conversation on Closing the Gap is changing because we are finally at the negotiating table.
The Coalition of Peaks want to hear ideas on what should be included in the new National Agreement. We want to hear from enough people across Australia to make sure we’re on the right track and have support to finalise the new national agreement with governments.
Some communities, organisations and people may have attended government led meetings about Closing the Gap targets in 2017 and 2018, but this is different.
This time the Coalition of Peaks are leading the discussion and we are now also talking about some important changes that we think needs to happen to improve our lives faster.
And we have a seat at the table with governments so that the better hear what we are saying.
I hope every person and community-controlled organisation takes up this opportunity to influence policies that will have a direct impact on our communities.
And I really look forward to reading the survey responses and attending engagement events across Australia over the next few months,”
Lead Convener of the Coalition of Peaks, CEO of NACCHO and Co-Chair of the Joint Council, Pat Turner said that listening to the voice of an affected community is critical to the success of any policy or program.
This week marks the start of the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (Coalition of Peaks) led engagements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the next phase of Closing the Gap – a national policy aimed at improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Coalition of Peaks is working with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to develop a new National Agreement that will set out efforts over the next ten years to help close the gap.
This is the first time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies will have an equal say in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policy framework.
And the Coalition of Peaks, together with Australian governments, want to ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have an opportunity to contribute their voice.
The Survey
This week a survey will be sent to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and their networks, inviting responses from both individuals and organisations.
There is a discussion booklet that has background information on Closing the Gap and sets out what will be talked about in the survey.
The survey will take a little bit of time to complete. It would be great if you can answer all the questions, but you can also just focus on the issues that you care about most.
To help you prepare your answers, you can look at a full copy here
The survey is open to everyone and can be accessed here:
There will also be opportunities in every State and Territory for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say through face-to-face meetings, to ensure that the community’s voice is truly heard and understood.
A Joint Council meeting of COAG Ministers and the Coalition of Peaks recently agreed in principle to the three priority reforms that will underpin the new agreement and form the basis of the survey and other engagements that will take place over the coming months.
Those priority reforms are:
1.Developing and strengthening structures to ensure the full involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in shared decision making at the national, state and local or regional level and embedding their ownership, responsibility and expertise to close the gap;
2.Building the formal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled services sector to deliver closing the gap services and programs in agreed priority areas; and
3.Ensuring all mainstream government agencies and institutions undertake systemic and structural transformation to contribute to Closing the Gap.
A report on what people say during the engagements will be prepared by the Coalition of Peaks, to be provided to governments and made public.
The report will inform the finalisation the new National Agreement between the Coalition of Peaks and COAG.
“ NACCHO welcomes the Government’s commitment and national actions towards reducing suicide rates and improving mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Mental health and suicide remain one of our top priorities as research shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are 2.7 times more likely to experience high levels of psychological distress than other Australians.
The attempted suicides are almost twice the rate of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and they are missing out on the much-needed mental health services.
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations are best placed to be the preferred providers of mental health, social and emotional wellbeing, and suicide-prevention activities in their communities. They need to be adequately resourced to develop community-led solutions that consider issues from a social and emotional perspective and provide appropriate solutions to prevention.
Harnessing this global momentum on World Suicide Prevention Day is critical to ensure productive and meaningful solutions are put in place to drive suicide rates down.
We will continue to advocate for appropriate funding to ensure community-led solutions to arrest suicide.”
Acting NACCHO Chair, Donnella Mills
Picture above from Left to right Tanja Hirvonen and Pat Dudgeon (CBATSISP) , Professor Tom Calma , Minister Ken Wyatt and Leilani Darwin see event details Part 4
” The Morrison Government is investing over $5.5 million in an approach that will help two of the nation’s leading mental health organisations reduce suicide rates and improve mental health outcomes for First Australians.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and this is an opportunity to raise awareness of suicide prevention and to shine a light on this enormous tragedy.”
See Minister Hunt and Wyatt full Press Release Part 2 Below
TRANSCRIPT OF SPEECH, WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY BREAKFAST (FED)
Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, discusses R U OK day, youth mental health and suicide prevention, and government investment in suicide prevention.
” Indigenous leaders welcomed Health Minister Greg Hunt’s $4.5 million announcement of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia – a national independent and inclusive Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention leadership body – at a Parliament House Poche Indigenous Health Network (PIHN) breakfast yesterday
Further welcome was given to Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt’s announcement of a $1 million Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Network within the Black Dog Institute to provide a national representative voice for Indigenous people with lived experience of suicide “
See Part 4 Below for Press Release
“ Aboriginal medical service was the best opportunity for a wraparound service for families within these communities.
They can provide social and emotional wellbeing and access to counselling, and their care management is done more effectively.
The Aboriginal Health Council of WA had been given the lead role by the WA Primary Health Alliance to look at a transition of State Government services.
We’ve all made the agreement and established thereference group now through Thirrili.
Basically ( The forum ) it was held in response to the inadequacy of services, particularly related to suicide prevention, mental health and primary health care services,”
South Regional TAFE Aboriginal development officer and Noongar man Laurence Riley organised the event and said there had not been a meeting like it in years.
See Article in full Part 3 Below
Part 2 : The Morrison Government is investing over $5.5 million in an approach that will help two of the nation’s leading mental health organisations reduce suicide rates and improve mental health outcomes for First Australians.
In 2017, the suicide death rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was twice that for non-Indigenous people.
Suicide accounts for 40 per cent of all deaths of Indigenous children – one life lost to suicide is one too many.
The Government is investing $4.5 million in Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia to deliver a national plan for culturally appropriate care and make suicide prevention services available and accessible to First Australians no matter where they live.
Proud Spirit will provide support in times of need with:
A dedicated senior suicide prevention officer
the inclusion of a government and a Primary Health Network (PHN) liaison officer, to ensure Proud Spirit connects to all Australian governments and PHNs
a representative of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation so Proud Spirit links to mental health and health services
a community partnerships officer, to connect Proud Spirit to Indigenous communities, including people with lived experience of suicide, members of the Stolen Generations, youth and Indigenous LGBTIQ people.
In addition, we are investing $963,000 to establish the Centre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Mental Illness and Suicide Network.
The Black Dog Institute and the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention at the University of Western Australia, will work together to deliver this initiative.
These organisations will:
Provide the means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with lived experience of mental illness and suicide to contribute to and engage with policy and program development, leading to an increase in self-determination and empowerment
support organisations to provide culturally appropriate mental health and suicide prevention programs and services to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In the 2019–20 Budget, the Morrison Government boosted funding for Indigenous-specific health initiatives to $4.1 billion over four years to 2022-23.
Our Government is committed to investing in mental health services for all Australians. It is a key pillar of our Long Term National Health Plan.
Part 3 :Narrogin’s Aboriginal community came together last month to voice their concerns, discuss mental health, and call for change in the region.
The Narrogin and Surrounds Aboriginal Community Consultation hosted more than 60 people at the John Higgins Community Centre, including elders, community members, and representatives from health organisations across the State and Australia.
The four-hour forum heard the community’s concerns, among which were poor health and support services in the region, and ongoing high rates of suicide, with many making emotional pleas for change.
South Regional TAFE Aboriginal development officer and Noongar man Laurence Riley organised the event and said there had not been a meeting like it in years.
“Basically it was held in response to the inadequacy of services, particularly related to suicide prevention, mental health and primary health care services,” he said.
“A lot of the services that exist in town, are not able to cater for that long, progressive counselling and support for families or people that are going through mental health issues and suicidal ideology.”
Mr Riley said part of the issue was being managed by three State regional boundaries, and government agencies not responding or being accountable to each other.
“It’s been trickling on since our first suicide 20 years ago and then we had the suicide spike in 2007-2008, when those seven or eight young men within Narrogin, Pingelly and Wagin took their lives,” he said.
National Indigenous Critical Response Service case manager Tina Hayden, who attended the meeting, said there was a funeral almost every week from someone taking their life in the area.
“We’re all related so it’s not just their loss — even though it’s their son or their daughter or grandson — it’s our loss because it’s still our family and they would have made an impact on our lives in some way,” she said.
Elder Nolda Williams, who was also present at the meeting, lost her son to suicide when he was 18 years old.
“It’s something you’ll never get over,” she said.
“I don’t want to see any more kids lose their lives.
“I want to see something happen, something they can do, somewhere they can go.”
Mr Riley said an Aboriginal medical service was the best opportunity for a wraparound service for families within these communities.
“They can provide social and emotional wellbeing and access to counselling, and their care management is done more effectively,” he said.
Mr Riley said the Aboriginal Health Council of WA had been given the lead role by the WA Primary Health Alliance to look at a transition of State Government services.
“We’ve all made the agreement and established thereference group now through Thirrili,” he said.
Thirrili and the National Indigenous Critical Response Service provide direct emotional and practical support to families and communities affected by suicide or another traumatic event.
NICRS chief executive Adele Cox said she was delighted with the number of community members who took part in the forum.
“I think that confirmed the absolute support and commitment from the community to look at taking these issues into their own hands and finding local solutions,” she said. “As a national service, it was heart-warming to come see such a turn-out and hear those conversations.
“While they were not always pleasant and some of the conversations that had to be had were hard, I think there was a showing of respect from everyone that attended.”
Ms Cox said it was great to see the Shire of Narrogin, including chief executive Dale Stewart and president Leigh Ballard, at the forum, and she hoped they had taken the opportunity to listen and take active initiative.
“We heard many ideas and very simple and practical suggestions from the community, which don’t take a lot in terms of resources,” she said.
The forum was led by Laurence Riley.Picture: Daryna Zadvirna
AHCWA, WAPHA and NICRS were also joined at the meeting by the local Kaata-Koorliny Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation, as well as Life without Barriers.
KEEDAC chief executive Leanne Kickett said the community was frustrated as the same issues had been addressed for the last 20 years but there had been no real outcomes so far.
“Funding has been allocated to certain services but we haven’t seen a result, there hasn’t been a different outcome,” she said.
“I think it has made us realise that we need to work together to make this change.”
Mr Riley said he spoke to the Commonwealth in 2015 about the opportunity to establish new Aboriginal medical services in the Narrogin region.
“Government’s response was ‘We don’t have the dollars so at this point of time we won’t be establishing any new Aboriginal medical services’,” he said.
“So what they’ve been doing is using existing resources and dollars to be able to expand into different regions.
“But since then (Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken) Wyatt has accused metropolitan services of neglecting rural and remote Aboriginal communities, hence why we’re kind of taking the lead to try to establish some services.”
A report on the forum held earlier this month was planned to be drafted and released to the community for a review, Ms Cox said.
“I’m hoping that as a part of this process we can get commitment from the State Government and I know that Minister Wyatt has certainly highlighted that he’s certainly for community-driven approaches and solutions,” she said.
“So hopefully, the report that comes out of this will be something that is listened to.”
Mr Riley said although change would be slow, it was definitely in progress.
“I think people are ready for change,” he said.
“People are ready to combat this division and just start moving forward as a community.
Part 4 Indigenous leaders welcome $5.5 million social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention initiatives
Indigenous leaders welcomed Health Minister Greg Hunt’s $4.5 million announcement of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia – a national independent and inclusive Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention leadership body – at a Parliament House Poche Indigenous Health Network (PIHN) breakfast this morning.
Further welcome was given to Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt’s announcement of a $1 million Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Network within the Black Dog Institute to provide a national representative voice for Indigenous people with lived experience of suicide.
PIHN Chair and Patron, and founder of the Close the Gap Campaign for Indigenous Heath Equality, Professor Tom Calma AO said:
“I thank the Prime Minister and Ministers Hunt and Wyatt for both announcements today and their recognition that the overall Indigenous health and life expectancy gap cannot be closed without significant focus on strengthening Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing and mental health, and on reducing our suicide rates”
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health (NATSILMH) Chair Mr Tom Brideson said:
“I add my thanks to the Australian Government for these announcements today. Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia will provide an inclusive, representative and complementary voice for the Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention sector
It will, in particular, focus on implementation of the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration developed by NATSILMH and that Australian governments are required to implement by the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.
Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia will be a national advocate for a ‘best of both worlds’ approach to our wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention, encompassing cultural and clinical elements to benefit all our diverse communities: remote, regional and urban, and including our young people, our LGBTIQ, and our Stolen Generations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Network Head Ms Leilani Darwin said:
“The Black Dog Institute and I are excited to establish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Network to inform, influence and enhance culturally-appropriate suicide prevention activities and mental health support programs that work for our First Nations people.”
“The Lived Experience Network will be the conduit that links existing networks together and mobilises, connects and enables Indigenous people with lived experience of suicide to have a seat at
the national table and to help deliver culturally fitting and safe Indigenous -led suicide prevention and mental wellbeing reform.”
Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association Chair Ms Tania Dalton said:
“ I am particularly pleased that the work of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia, supported by the Lived Experience Network, will include leading an inclusive development process for a dedicated Indigenous suicide prevention plan with a strong youth component. “
In closing, Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) Director Professor Pat Dudgeon affirmed:
“Indigenous leadership – inclusive and accountable to our communities – is critical if efforts to close the mental health outcome and suicide rate gaps are to be effective. With today’s announcements Indigenous leadership of Indigenous mental health, social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention is – at last – cemented into the national policy space,”
“I take this opportunity to pay tribute to 40-years and more of tireless work by Indigenous leaders in this space. In particular, I acknowledge the work of NATSILMH since 2013. The naming of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia after its Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration is a testament to NATSILMH’s influence.”
“Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia and the Lived Experience Network will also promote a new generation of leaders in this space to ensure indigenous leadership of the sector into the future.”
END
For media enquiries on for Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia: Tanja Hirvonen (CBATSISP) and Professor Tom Calma are available for and interview requests. Please contact Jessica Weiland, 0468969041 or via Jessica.weiland@health.nsw.gov.au
For media enquiries on The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Network: Leilani Darwin is available for interview requests. Please contact: Natalie Craig 02 9382 3712 or 0448 144 999 or via Natalie.craig@blackdog.org.au,
For more information about NATSLMH and the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration see: https://natsilmh.org.au/
The Poche Indigenous Health Network is a network of Poche centres, focused on closing the gap in life expectancy and seeking solutions to address the complex health issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For more info see: http://pochehealth.edu.au/ ·
“ At NOFASD, across Australia, and around the world people took a minute today to pause and reflect on the struggles which individuals , families and communities face when they are living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
At 9:09 on the 9th day of the 9th month we came together to raise awareness about the risks of alcohol and the importance of alcohol-free pregnancies.”
“ Before the extra years were added to his sentence and before the trouble that led to them, authorities were warned that a teenage boy with severe cognitive impairments was deteriorating in Darwin’s Don Dale youth detention centre and needed help.
Key points:
A 17-year-old boy was recently sentenced to an additional four years’ jail over a riot in Don Dale in July 2018
The ABC has seen letters sent to authorities weeks before the riot, requesting urgent intervention
A Supreme Court judge accepted that conditions in the prison contributed to the boy’s offending
Legal letters seen by the ABC formally requesting urgent intervention in then-16-year-old Corey’s* “outrageous” treatment in the condemned facility were sent to the head of the Territory Families department and the NT Children’s Commissioner in June last year.
Legal Aid lawyers told authorities that the teenager — who has foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and a history of trauma starting from abandonment in hospital at birth — had been kept in effective isolation, with little fresh air, sunlight and schooling, and had been threatened and assaulted by other boys inside Don Dale.
A spokesperson said Aboriginal health organisation Danila Dilba was taking over primary health care in the centre, support services had been “significantly” increased and an FASD component was added to staff induction training.
Olga Havnen, who is the chief executive of Danila Dilba, said Corey had been set up to fail in a system that couldn’t help him.
She said the teenager’s conviction for property damage to Don Dale was ironic, asking: “Who pays for the damage caused to this young person?”
Doctors from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) are calling for the Australian Government to introduce mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products.
“Drinking alcohol while pregnant can lead to birth defects and lifelong neurodevelopmental problems associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD),” said Professor Paul Colditz, President of Paediatrics and Child Health at the RACP and an alcohol policy expert.
“FASD is the most common and preventable cause of serious brain injury in children in Australia. There is no cure for FASD, so prevention is everything. This is why clear and unambiguous messaging on the harms of drinking while pregnant is important and why such messaging should be mandatory across all alcohol product labels.
“With less than half of alcohol manufacturers currently using pregnancy warning labels we can’t look to the industry to self-regulate.
“There is also an inherent conflict of interest under the current approach where consumers are ultimately directed towards industry websites for warning information and may be exposed to contradictory messages.”
In its submission to the Food Regulation Standing Committee, the RACP makes a number of evidence-based recommendations about how to implement mandatory pregnancy warning labels.
The RACP recommends that behaviour change experts develop new text for warning labels. Graphics should feature on the label to convey the harms of alcohol to an unborn baby.
Consistency of messaging is important so warning labels should be standardised across the industry. Prominence of the labelling is also important.
“We know that pregnancy warning labels alone are not enough to prevent FASD, but we think it’s a step in the right direction for raising public awareness about the dangers of prenatal alcohol exposure,” Professor Colditz said.
The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016 found only 56 per cent of pregnant women said they abstained from drinking during pregnancy.
Part 2 NO FASD Press Release Continued
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) reports that 50% of Australian women experience an unplanned pregnancy.
The first few weeks of these unknown pregnancies are a major risk for prenatal alcohol exposure. Approximately 59% of Australian women drink alcohol at some time during their pregnancy, and estimates indicate that 1 in every 13 women who consume alcohol will have a child with FASD.
These numbers are staggering. The AMA states that “few accurate data on the prevalence of FASD in Australia is available but it is estimated that FASD affects roughly between 2% and 5% of the population in the United States”.
FASD is the most common preventable disability, and preventing FASD is a whole-of-community responsibility. Mothers never intentionally put their children at risk. Increasing awareness about the risks of drinking when you could be pregnant, and supporting women who are pregnant to abstain throughout their nine months, is essential for preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies.
If you are pregnant, don’t drink alcohol. If you drink alcohol, don’t get pregnant.
Friends and partners can play a major role in supporting mothers to be alcohol free. For example it is much easier for a woman to say no to alcohol if her partner stops drinking too. We can support expectant mothers by organising fun alcohol-free activities, serving non-alcoholic drinks, and reducing or ceasing our own drinking.
If you, or anyone you know, is pregnant, planning or could be, NO ALCOHOL is the safest option
” While many other reforms are needed to support the best futures for our children, getting these things right will set us on the path to Closing the Gap in outcomes, and giving all of our children access to their fundamental rights.
We need your action now”
SNAICC Chair Muriel Bamblett
With more than 1200 delegates meeting on the land of the Kaurna people in Adelaide, the past three days have been a truly exhilarating experience for us. We have been able to share our knowledge and experiences in raising happy, healthy and confident children in our cultures and communities.
Dusty Feet Mob performed on Day 2 of the 8th SNAICC National Conference, 2-5 Sept. 2019. From Port Augusta, S.A. Dusty Feet Mob are an Aboriginal dance group that builds a connection to culture, language, community and country through dance.
We have heard from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and practitioners who are proving that they are leading change. Where state and territory governments have invested in and committed to self-determination for our communities, we see greater outcomes for our children and families.
Our challenge going forward will be to address the disparities in funding between states, territories and the Commonwealth and varying levels of commitment.
As one voice, we call for urgent action to be taken to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have every opportunity to grow up safe and cared for in their family, community, and culture, and on country.
Our agreement on the Closing the Gap Refresh is to support the Coalition of Peaks, and pursue the three reform priorities for action to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children in the areas of child protection and in the early years.
Our key calls for action are:
1. The establishment of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner
We have been inspired by the brilliance and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO and South Australian Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, April Lawrie.
Commissioner Oscar’s commitment to focusing on early intervention and wellbeing was highlighted yesterday. She said,
Just 17% of funding for child protection went to child and family support and prevention services while 83% has been invested in child protection services. This needs to change.”
A National Commissioner for our children must be independent, properly resourced, and have strong powers to investigate the systems that are failing our children.
2. A comprehensive National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Strategy that includes generational targets to eliminate the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care
The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children ends next year and has failed to improve outcomes for our children. The soaring rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care are a national crisis. We must start work now so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can co-design with governments a dedicated strategy that focuses on prevention and targets the drivers of child protection intervention.
We heard strong calls from Victoria Tauli-Corpuz’s, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, that Australia must adhere to international standards. The strategy must give effect to the internationally recognised human rights of our children. It must be based on our knowledge of what will work to change outcomes and seek to achieve the four building blocks of the Family Matters Campaign.
3. A dedicated funding program for integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years services, and an exemption to the child care ‘Activity Test’ for our families
We need a long term program to invest in integrated community-controlled early education, maternal and child health and family support services, with clear targets to increase coverage in areas of high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, and high levels of disadvantage.
There should be an exemption to the Activity Test in the New Child Care Package, because that test limits participation for children in early education and undermines their fundamental rights. This will seriously impact the futures of our children.
4. An end to legal orders for permanent care and adoption for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, replaced by a focus on supporting the permanence of their identity in connection with their kin and culture
We need to stop focusing on permanent legal orders, and invest in programs that support reunification and cultural connection for children in care. Our children need continuity and to know where they are from, and their place in relation to family, mob, community, land and culture.
This too is a significant human rights issue.
While many other reforms are needed to support the best futures for our children, getting these things right will set us on the path to Closing the Gap in outcomes, and giving all of our children access to their fundamental rights. We need your action now
