Page 119 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 8 April 1992
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custody and the development of protocols and procedures for the collection and exchange of information between the Australian Federal Police and ACT Corrective Services. It is explicitly stated in the ACT response that all of these processes will involve close consultation with local Aboriginal communities.
The Government is also determined to ensure that the physical conditions faced by detainees are of the standard recommended by the royal commission. While substantial improvements have already been made in response to the commission's interim report - that is, the Muirhead report - the Government has identified the need for further improvements to raise the standard of care in police watch-house cells and custodial facilities in the ACT. As well as measures to ensure physical safety and reduce the risk of self-harm, the response makes a commitment to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees with emotional and social support through visits from Aboriginal health and legal services and to provide special training for official visitors.
I refer next to proclaimed places. Linked with these initiatives to reform and improve custodial facilities in the ACT is the desire to provide alternative, non-custodial facilities to allow for the proper care and treatment of intoxicated people. In considering options for establishing such proclaimed places, my Government will consult with the local Aboriginal communities as to the most appropriate and culturally sensitive model.
I turn to legislative reform. In a number of areas the Government has made a commitment to legislative change to meet the royal commission's recommendations. The need for reform in the area of coronial responsibilities and the law governing coronial inquests is dealt with in detail by the royal commission and is addressed in the ACT response. The Coroners Act 1956 will be substantially amended to fully implement these recommendations. Legislation enforcing the principle that imprisonment should be utilised only as a sanction of last resort is also being prepared. Legislative issues which require further consideration and consultation with the local community include the recognition of Aboriginal customary law as well as matters relating to liquor consumption, licensing and control.
In the area of health, the ACT Government currently funds the Aboriginal Health Service, which provides medical and related health care services to Aboriginal people in the ACT and the surrounding region. The Government's funding of this service demonstrates its ongoing commitment to the principle, supported by the commission, that the current state of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health must be addressed through the provision of services and advice by members of their own community. The ACT Government plans to expand the role of the service through participation in the national Aboriginal health strategy. The Government will also be consulting closely to identify ways in which it can further improve health services available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In the area of housing, the ACT Government is currently developing an Aboriginal housing policy which will address issues such as awarding contracts to Aboriginal groups and increasing their involvement in the development of housing generally. Crisis accommodation assistance for the Aboriginal community in the ACT and the surrounding region is being pursued as a priority under the national Aboriginal health strategy.
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