- ACT is the first jurisdiction in the country to legislate its Closing the Gap commitments
- International Day of People with Disability
- NACCHO Elder Care Support Workshop
- New Great Southern Aboriginal Medical Service leads country’s first Indigenous-focused first aid sessions
- Sector Jobs
The NACCHO Sector 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.
ACT is the first jurisdiction in the country to legislate its Closing the Gap commitments
The ACT is the first jurisdiction in the country to legislate its Closing the Gap commitments, with the bill passing late yesterday.
From July next year senior public servants will be required to uphold a “Closing the Gap principle”, with public sector entities to report annually on progress on the national agreement, which sets targets to address Indigenous inequality.
For Julie Tongs, the chief executive of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, it has “been a long time coming”.
“But the hard work’s still ahead,” she said.
“The proof is in the pudding, as they say, so we’ll see how this plays out in years to come, but this is a great first step.
“I hope that this is the turning point for [the government and its public servants], that they do take us seriously and that they take this bill seriously.”
Read the full article here.
Julie Tongs says the bill is a great first step, but there is still hard work ahead. (ABC News: Adam Shirley)
International Day of People with Disability
Today is International Day of People with Disability – a day to celebrate inclusion, equity, and community-led change.
At NACCHO, we’re proud of our Aboriginal Disability Liaison Officers (ADLOs) across the country who are helping our mob navigate the NDIS with cultural care and support.
ADLOs are more than connectors, they’re changemakers. They strengthen community ties, remove barriers, and make sure our people living with disability are supported in ways that reflect our culture, rights, and lived experiences.
As Dr Sarah Hayton, Executive Director at NACCHO, said:
“Our ADLOs are helping to transform access and inclusion through cultural connection, respect, and rights-based support.”
Let’s honour the strength and resilience of our people living with disability, their carers, and the community teams walking alongside them every day.
Learn more here.
NACCHO Elder Care Support Workshop
We recently held the NACCHO Elder Care Support Workshop, a two-day training program in Adelaide focused on strengthening care for Elders across our communities.
Key focus areas included:
- Building workforce training pathways
- Enhancing communications and engagement
- Developing a robust data strategy
- Supporting our sector and shaping the future of the program
It was a productive workshop filled with collaboration and valuable insights. A big thank you to all attendees for their contributions, and to the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing representatives for sharing their perspectives.
New Great Southern Aboriginal Medical Service leads country’s first Indigenous-focused first aid sessions
Aboriginal communities in the Great Southern are the first in the country to benefit from a national initiative delivering vital emergency training, thanks to a newly established Indigenous health service.
More than 50 Aboriginal people attended the first sessions in Albany last week, with many more scheduled to attend sessions in Mt Barker, Tambellup, Katanning, Gnowangerup and Kojonup.
A joint effort between the newly formed Great Southern Aboriginal Medical Service, Community First Responders Australia and the Heart Foundation, the initiative teaches residents basic first aid, including how to use a defibrillator, to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest.
Read more here.
Gwyn Nichols, Sarah Williams, Lindsay Dean, Professor Sandra Eades AO, Patricia Williams and Leon Landau. Credit: Laurie Benson
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.
Email us your story with some images to: NACCHOCommunicationsandMedia@naccho.org.au
and we will feature it in the news.