First Steps in Closing the Gap
The Government recognises that new ways of doing things are essential. In the past, governments have accepted slow or no progress in Indigenous affairs. These low expectations contributed to poor outcomes.
This Government is taking a more vigorous and rigorous approach, leveraging what works and improving what doesn’t. We are directing our policies and programs at a set of measurable and time-specific goals.
We have set targets:
- to close the life-expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians within a generation;
- to halve the mortality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and other children under age 5 within a decade; - to halve the gap in literacy and numeracy achievement between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and other students within a decade;
- to halve the gap in employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within a decade;
- to at least halve the gap in attainment at Year 12 schooling (or equivalent level) by 2020; and
- to provide all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander four year olds in remote communities with access to a quality preschool program within five years.
Chart 1: Closing the gap in life expectancy
Achieving these ambitious targets will not be easy. It requires strong commitment and coordinated action within and across governments, robust mechanisms for advancing reforms, and an accountability framework that reports on progress. It is vital that the States and Territories are partners in this process.
In short, we want to achieve a situation where:
- there are agreed objectives — we all know where we are going and the outcomes we want to achieve;
- roles and responsibilities are clearly defined; and
- there is transparency and accountability.
COAG has formally adopted these targets, and has identified a number of strategic platforms or ‘building blocks’ that need to be in place in order to comprehensively address the current state of disadvantage:
- healthy homes;
- safe communities;
- health;
- early childhood;
- schooling;
- economic participation; and
- governance and leadership.
The Government is using these seven strategic platforms to address the identified drivers of disadvantage, and address them in an integrated way. Strategies aimed at achieving improvements in just one area will not work in isolation — the building blocks must fit together through the integration of policy ideas and their implementation.
Today’s Budget measures together with funds committed previously in Additional Estimates and other announcements represent significant down-payments on our commitment to ‘close the gap’, providing resources for key initiatives foreshadowed in our election platform or where needs have been urgent and obvious.
Building Blocks
Healthy homes
A healthy home is a fundamental precondition of a healthy population. Important contributors to the current unsatisfactory living conditions include inadequate water and sewerage systems, waste collection, electricity and poor housing infrastructure (design, stock and maintenance). Children need to live in accommodation with adequate infrastructure conducive to good hygiene and study and free of overcrowding.
Safe communities
Indigenous people (men, women and children) need to be safe from violence, abuse and neglect. Fulfilling this need involves improving family and community safety through law and justice responses (including accessible and effective policing and an accessible justice system), victim support (including safe houses and counselling), child protection and also preventative approaches. Addressing related factors such as alcohol and substance abuse will be critical to improving community safety, along with the improved health benefits to be obtained.
Health
Achieving improved outcomes for children requires access to, and delivery of, effective primary and preventative health care. Community primary health services play an important role and also need to be responsive to and accountable for achieving government and community health priorities. Parental health is critical to supporting children and the heavy onset of chronic diseases in the 34-45 age range requires concerted effort in prevention, management and treatment. Parents also need the skills to promote healthy, structured lifestyles.
Early childhood
For an equal start in life Indigenous children need early learning, development and socialisation opportunities. Access to quality early childhood education and care services, including pre-school, child care and family support services such as parenting programs and supports, is critical. Appropriate facilities and physical infrastructure, a sustainable early childhood education and health workforce, learning frameworks and opportunities for parental engagement are also important and require attention. Action in the areas of maternal, antenatal and early childhood health is relevant to addressing the child mortality gap and to early childhood development.
Schooling
Human capital development through education is key to future opportunity. Responsive schooling requires attention to infrastructure, workforce, including teacher and school leader supply and quality, curriculum, student literacy and numeracy achievement and opportunities for parental engagement and school/community partnerships. Transition pathways into schooling and into work, post school education and training are also important. Life-long learning is important and attention is also needed regarding adult literacy and numeracy skills.
Economic participation
Individuals and communities should have the opportunity to benefit from the mainstream economy – real jobs, business opportunities, economic independence and wealth creation. Economic participation needs to extend to disadvantaged job seekers and those outside of the labour market. Access to land and native title assets, rights and interests can be leveraged to secure real and practical benefits for Indigenous people. Other financial assets, capacity building, employment and training programs, incentive structures and social and physical infrastructure, including communications and transport, are needed to foster economic participation and community engagement. Through this participation, parents and other adults can become effective role models for their families and community. The design and delivery of welfare (both transfer payments and services) needs to promote active engagement, enhanced capability and positive social norms. Ensuring that communities have support to address factors that are a barrier to engagement such as problem gambling is critical.
Governance and leadership
Strong leadership is needed to champion and demonstrate ownership of reform. Effective governance arrangements in communities and organisations as well as strong engagement by governments at all levels are essential to long term sustainable outcomes. Indigenous people need to be engaged in the development of reforms that will impact on them. Improved access to capacity building in governance and leadership is needed in order for Indigenous people to play a greater role in exercising their rights and responsibilities as citizens.