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Australia on track with only four of 19 Closing The Gap targets

Australia on track with only four of 19 Closing The Gap targets

News.com.au2 days ago
The country is severely behind in bringing outcomes for Indigenous Australians in line with their non-Indigenous counterparts, with only four of 19 Closing The Gap targets on track, a new report shows.
The Productivity Commission, which monitors progress on the targets, revealed on Thursday that Australia was on track in boosting preschool enrolments, employment and two land rights goals.
But the rest were either improving too slowly or worsening.
Among those getting worse was adult imprisonment, with 2304 out of every 100,000 adults behind bars Indigenous.
Other areas worsening were children in out-of-home care (50 out of every 1000 children), suicide rates (31 out of every 100,000 people) and children's educational development, with only 33.9 per cent on track.
Productivity Commission chief Selwyn Button said in a statement the report 'shows that outcomes can't easily be reduced to a number'.
'The outcomes are all connected, each reflecting aspects of a broader system and the experiences of the people who have shared their stories,' Mr Button said
'What the outcomes in the agreement reflect most of all is the limited progress of governments in collectively acting on the priority reforms: sharing decision making and data with communities; strengthening the Aboriginal community controlled sector and changing the way governments operate.'
He went on to say a recent 'independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led review of the agreement and the PC's 2024 review both show that the transformational change that governments committed to is falling well short of what has been promised'.
Asked about the report's findings on breakfast news, Treasurer Jim Chalmers echoed Mr Button, saying governments have not done enough.
'We need to do much better,' Mr Chalmers told the ABC.
'I think every member of the government, I think many Australians, would acknowledge that we need to do better and the reason why these reports are so important is because they make sure that we keep governments and the community more broadly up to the mark.'
He praised Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy for 'working in her characteristically diligent way with all of the stakeholders, all of the communities to try to turn these numbers around'.
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Data released on Thursday revealed just four of 19 targets are on track to be met, with another four goals going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development. Mr Albanese said Closing the Gap data underlined the fact that a different, dedicated approach was required to address these issues. "Reports and reviews have their place but they are not a substitute for outcomes, results," he said. "Creating a process matters but it is not the same thing as making progress." Mr Yunupingu closed his address by telling the prime minister he was open to doing business together. "My brothers and sisters are telling me now, we have serious business," he said. "They are reminding me that making hard decisions with serious people is what leadership is all about." 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A "real economy" is needed in Arnhem Land, say Indigenous leaders addressing a major Australian cultural gathering. Yothu Yindi Foundation chair Djawa Yunupingu has told crowds at Garma Festival at Gulkula in northeast Arnhem Land his people plan on being part of the future. "Yolngu people are not suddenly going to stop and rest and think everything is OK," he said on Saturday. "We intend to use our lands and waters for our own future and the future of our children, and the future of our nation." His comments came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his Garma address to unveil an economic partnership with the Coalition of Peaks. "Our government also wants to work with communities as economic decision-makers, to unlock the true potential of their land and their endeavour beyond passing transactions to lasting partnerships that create and share wealth," he said. The approach would allow traditional owners to advocate for infrastructure, housing and energy projects on their land and to build equity beyond the land itself. Mr Albanese also announced $70 million for Indigenous clean energy projects, $75 million for native title reforms and $31 million for a mobile TAFE program under the partnership. The prime minister said, "we have made a start but there is more to do". "We must end the stalemate that arises when native title organisations with little in the way of back-of-house, or legal and commercial expertise are expected to negotiate with multinational firms." Mr Albanese said the partnership builds on agreements made under Closing the Gap, saying it is a "new way of doing business". Closing the Gap has been a major topic of discussion at Garma, which has become a ground for political conversations and policy announcements while also focusing on culture and empowerment of the local Yolngu people. Data released on Thursday revealed just four of 19 targets are on track to be met, with another four goals going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development. Mr Albanese said Closing the Gap data underlined the fact that a different, dedicated approach was required to address these issues. "Reports and reviews have their place but they are not a substitute for outcomes, results," he said. "Creating a process matters but it is not the same thing as making progress." Mr Yunupingu closed his address by telling the prime minister he was open to doing business together. "My brothers and sisters are telling me now, we have serious business," he said. "They are reminding me that making hard decisions with serious people is what leadership is all about." 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A "real economy" is needed in Arnhem Land, say Indigenous leaders addressing a major Australian cultural gathering. Yothu Yindi Foundation chair Djawa Yunupingu has told crowds at Garma Festival at Gulkula in northeast Arnhem Land his people plan on being part of the future. "Yolngu people are not suddenly going to stop and rest and think everything is OK," he said on Saturday. "We intend to use our lands and waters for our own future and the future of our children, and the future of our nation." His comments came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his Garma address to unveil an economic partnership with the Coalition of Peaks. "Our government also wants to work with communities as economic decision-makers, to unlock the true potential of their land and their endeavour beyond passing transactions to lasting partnerships that create and share wealth," he said. The approach would allow traditional owners to advocate for infrastructure, housing and energy projects on their land and to build equity beyond the land itself. 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Data released on Thursday revealed just four of 19 targets are on track to be met, with another four goals going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development. Mr Albanese said Closing the Gap data underlined the fact that a different, dedicated approach was required to address these issues. "Reports and reviews have their place but they are not a substitute for outcomes, results," he said. "Creating a process matters but it is not the same thing as making progress." Mr Yunupingu closed his address by telling the prime minister he was open to doing business together. "My brothers and sisters are telling me now, we have serious business," he said. "They are reminding me that making hard decisions with serious people is what leadership is all about." 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A "real economy" is needed in Arnhem Land, say Indigenous leaders addressing a major Australian cultural gathering. Yothu Yindi Foundation chair Djawa Yunupingu has told crowds at Garma Festival at Gulkula in northeast Arnhem Land his people plan on being part of the future. "Yolngu people are not suddenly going to stop and rest and think everything is OK," he said on Saturday. "We intend to use our lands and waters for our own future and the future of our children, and the future of our nation." His comments came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his Garma address to unveil an economic partnership with the Coalition of Peaks. "Our government also wants to work with communities as economic decision-makers, to unlock the true potential of their land and their endeavour beyond passing transactions to lasting partnerships that create and share wealth," he said. The approach would allow traditional owners to advocate for infrastructure, housing and energy projects on their land and to build equity beyond the land itself. Mr Albanese also announced $70 million for Indigenous clean energy projects, $75 million for native title reforms and $31 million for a mobile TAFE program under the partnership. The prime minister said, "we have made a start but there is more to do". "We must end the stalemate that arises when native title organisations with little in the way of back-of-house, or legal and commercial expertise are expected to negotiate with multinational firms." Mr Albanese said the partnership builds on agreements made under Closing the Gap, saying it is a "new way of doing business". Closing the Gap has been a major topic of discussion at Garma, which has become a ground for political conversations and policy announcements while also focusing on culture and empowerment of the local Yolngu people. Data released on Thursday revealed just four of 19 targets are on track to be met, with another four goals going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development. Mr Albanese said Closing the Gap data underlined the fact that a different, dedicated approach was required to address these issues. "Reports and reviews have their place but they are not a substitute for outcomes, results," he said. "Creating a process matters but it is not the same thing as making progress." Mr Yunupingu closed his address by telling the prime minister he was open to doing business together. "My brothers and sisters are telling me now, we have serious business," he said. "They are reminding me that making hard decisions with serious people is what leadership is all about." 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14

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