• Majority of voters think First Nations people should have a voice, despite referendum outcome
• Indemnity insurance restored for midwives delivering labour care at home
• New homes to reduce overcrowding in remote NT
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge in environmental management
• Calls for Safe Night Space to stay open until permanent location is found
• New mental health service for Whittlesea
• Sector Jobs

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The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Majority of voters think First Nations people should have a voice, despite referendum outcome

Almost nine-in-10 voters, 87%, think Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isander people should have a voice or say over matters that affect them, despite the defeat of the proposed Voice to Parliament. That’s one of the key findings from the largest and most comprehensive survey on the October 2023 referendum on the possible constitutional change, led by The Australian National University (ANU).

The survey, which has been tracking more than 4,200 voters and their views on the proposed Voice to Parliament since January 2023, also found three-quarters, 76%, of ‘no’ voters also think Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders deserve a voice when it came to key policies and political decisions.
Professor Nicholas Biddle, study co-author said the survey findings also showed most voters were supportive of some form of constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Our findings show that there is widespread support for a broad definition of constitutional recognition,” Professor Biddle said.

“Almost five times as many Australians, 61.7%, said they would definitely or probably would have voted ‘yes’ if there was a referendum on recognition compared to those who said that they would probably or definitely would have voted ‘no’ – 12.5%.”

In addition, 79.4% of Australians think that the Federal Government should help improve reconciliation, while 80.5% think that Australia should ‘undertake formal truth-telling processes to acknowledge the reality of Australia’s shared history.’

“So, this raises serious questions about why the proposed referendum failed and saw more than 60% of voters, and all states and territories, except the ACT, categorically reject it,” Professor Biddle said.

“Our findings suggest it is not such much the premise of recognition but the model that was being presented to voters at the referendum, among other key factors.”

Learn more about the ANU study here.

Indemnity insurance restored for midwives delivering labour care at home

The Albanese Government has restored the ability of midwives to deliver care to women who labour in their home before a planned birth in hospital, after the former government left a gap in professional indemnity insurance for those services. After extensive engagement from the Albanese Government, the medical indemnity insurer MIGA will now amend its policies to cover these services for endorsed midwives with individual insurance. The Government will support these changes by providing an indemnity to MIGA so that the Government will pay 100% of any eligible and approved claims made in respect of these intrapartum, outside of hospital services for a midwife with an individual policy with MIGA.

Mark Butler, Health and Aged Care Minister said that the government “recognises that midwifery continuity of care is incredibly important and has the best outcomes for women and babies and we will continue to work to make sure that it is accessible and supported.”

Endorsed midwives with existing individual policies which cover intrapartum care in hospital with MIGA will not need to do anything and this new out of hospital cover will be automatically added to their policy. Endorsed midwives who do not have an individual policy with MIGA will need to apply to MIGA for a policy, via the MIGA website. The Albanese Government was made aware of the gap in insurance coverage left by the former government on 17 October this year. Cover will be available retrospectively for this service dated from 17 October 2023, irrespective of whether the endorsed midwife already holds a policy with MIGA or now applies for one.

Read more here.

New homes to reduce overcrowding in remote NT

The remote NT community of Wadeye face severe overcrowding. Trying to change that, young men are picking up the tools to help build new homes. Among those employed on the $18.5 million government remote housing contract is Wesley Miler, who recently completed a certificate in carpentry, which he undertook locally. The 16 new homes are being built by the Thamarrurr Development Corporation for a new sub-division in the community. They’re additional to 125 homes that were in varying states of damage following rioting in the community in 2022, which were all repaired by May this year to a tune of $10.5 million.

It is not uncommon in the remote NT for more than 15 people to be forced to live together in a three-bedroom home with one toilet, which evidence shows can be badly detrimental to health. Among those counting themselves lucky to have secured one of the new homes in Wadeye is John Kingston Luckan, Lirrga man and Aboriginal interpreter.

“I don’t know for how many years I was struggling to get a new house,” Mr Luckan said.

“I had to stay with my brother-in-law and my sister and the family, a bit overcrowded.”

Now, Mr Luckan is pleased to see young residents “working together” on the new builds.

“All these young fellas that I see working out here, they good, they’re trying to get some skills, learn something different for themselves that can change their lives,” Mr Luckan said.

Read the full ABC News article here.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge in environmental management

Over three days from 14 November, the third annual conference for the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network, “Collective Action for Health, Environment and Climate”, analysed and discussed the leading health, climate and environmental challenges facing Australia, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world. Around the world, Indigenous peoples have been using fire for generations, in cultural and land management practices. Wildfires have a disproportionate and destructive impact on Indigenous communities. This is as true in Australia as it is internationally. A pronounced theme during the #HEAL2023 conference was the need to integrate and capitalise on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge in co-design for research and implementation, in building resilience and in environmental management mechanisms.

The Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research at Charles Darwin has been working with Indigenous land managers, conservation, research and government organisations in northern Australia to find more effective ways to manage wildfires. This collaboration has led to a new approach to reducing bushfire risk, blending modern scientific knowledge with traditional Indigenous land management practices. The Indigenous Knowledge Institute at the University of Melbourne has also outlined how combining traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fire management techniques with new technologies can improve environmental outcomes and reduce bushfire risk.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

Calls for Safe Night Space to stay open until permanent location is found

Peak homelessness bodies, family violence specialists and sexual assault services joined forces in a new and urgent call for the City of Perth to delay the closure of its Safe Night Space service – at least until after the Christmas season. Family violence is the leading cause of homelessness among women and most women turning to Safe Night Space for help are not only without a safe place to spend the night but have also experienced violence and abuse – either on the streets, or in the home from which they’ve escaped. The service is due to close this week – on 30 November – and the City of Perth has so far resisted calls to allow Safe Night Space the use of its East Perth location for another two years. The service has secured operating funding from the WA government but, despite a relentless search, has not been able to secure an alternate location.

Kath Snell, Shelter WA chief executive said the latest ‘By-Name’ list data for October this year show there are a record number of women who are experiencing chronic homelessness (either sleeping rough or temporarily sheltered).

“The City of Perth has done an amazing job for over two years by providing the space and support for the Safe Night Space pilot. Every indicator and evaluation shows it was an overwhelming success – we’re saying this is the time to build on that success and keep the doors open until a more permanent location is found,” she said.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

New mental health service for Whittlesea

A new service that supports older Victorians to access mental health and wellbeing treatment is available in Whittlesea, with a hub expected to be established in 2024. Mental health organisation Neami National, in partnership with Victorian Aboriginal Health services, Drummond Street Services, and Uniting Vic Tas, has a team of peer support workers and clinicians working together to operate Whittlesea Mental Health and Wellbeing Local. While there are plans to open a physical space next year, the service currently offers outreach support and Telehealth, with staff able to meet people at their homes, in the community or remotely, for between six to 12 months.

Alana Istanto, lived experience service manager said the operating hours – which extend to after 5pm on weekdays, including Saturdays and public holidays – were crucial.

“Someone might just need to have a chat, there might be something going on for them and they speak to one of our peer workers, have a cuppa, and then we may not see them again – and that’s fine,” she said.

“Someone may come in and need some more robust support, so we can then look at maybe allocating more of an ongoing workflow.”

Ms Istanto said she hoped to bridge some of the barriers between travel and accessing mental health support in Whittlesea through the service. The service collaborates with Drummond Street Services and Victorian Aboriginal Health Services, who allocate lived experience workers and family practitioners to support people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, LGBTQIA+SB and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Learn more here.

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.