New approach needed to fulfil closing the gap promise

Perth Now

6 days ago

Governments are being urged to rethink their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if they are serious about closing the gap.
While the Closing the Gap framework is sound, its implementation has been inhibited by inaction, an independent, Indigenous-led review found.
The framework has been agreed to all Australian governments and is designed to address First Nations inequity.
The report authors engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia for the review, said University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes.
"The feedback we got overwhelmingly through the process from Indigenous people was that we all shook hands, all levels of government agreed to this framework and we're not stepping away from it," Professor Coombes told AAP.
"However, if it's going to fulfil its promise, the government needs to work differently with us."
The review found imbalance of responsibilities and resourcing was impeding implementation, with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations doing the "heavy lifting" while being under-resourced.
But the absence of appropriate communication and education about Closing the Gap efforts had led to community negativity about progress on the targets, the report said.
Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council deputy chief executive David Harmer said too often there was "lip service" paid to the targets.
"We spend a lot of time dutifully reporting to government about the work that we've been doing ... but that's not translating to practical action on the ground that people recognise as the benefit of the Closing the Gap agreement" he said.
Mr Harmer urged the government in his state to work more closely with Indigenous organisations, saying there's a need for renewed commitment to getting the relationship right.
"Governments arrive with an idea of what they want to deliver, 'consult' about it and then deliver the thing they'd already thought they were going to do," he said.
"That can't continue if we're going to change things dramatically."
Closing the Gap data, released by the Productivity Commission in March, showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, while another six have shown improvement.
The review was commissioned by the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Indigenous peak bodies across Australia.
Acting lead convener Scott Wilson said when governments and community organisations worked in genuine partnership, there were tangible outcomes.
"When we all come together and when everyone's on the same page and we're driving change, whether it's with community organisations or with a state or federal government you do have good outcomes and you do have change," he said.
Prof Coombes said governments should "take heart" in the review, despite its criticisms, as it was an opportunity for change.
"If the government read this report, considers the recommendations and starts self-reflecting on how they work and how they engage with Indigenous people, there's a really good opportunity to do things differently and better," he said.