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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 1 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 155 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

We will work to address violence in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and expect to have identified projects to allocate $60,000 to support families by this Christmas. In the early part of next year, we will develop a comprehensive cross-portfolio domestic violence strategy, in consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Mr Speaker, my government will put a greater emphasis on prevention, education and training initiatives to help indigenous people overcome their disadvantage. We will deliver, through the reinvestment of the $27 million free bus scheme into education, enhanced education and training initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We will develop strategies to improve retention rates for children in the education system, and ensure that education and training programs are linked to real job opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers.

Over a long time there has been a paucity of housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT. The government will investigate and establish culturally appropriate housing options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the first instance, we will finalise with the Commonwealth government and ATSIC a trilateral housing agreement for the ACT that provides a framework to achieve this goal. A key component of this process will be to undertake a viability study starting immediately into the potential for the expansion of indigenous community housing in the ACT.

Mr Speaker, the government will facilitate the development of partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business groups and individuals to help nurture business and employment opportunities for indigenous people in the ACT. We support the work that has been undertaken in developing a mentoring program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in industries and will continue to support this initiative.

In terms of the ACT public service, the government will further consult with the community with a view to strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and career development framework for the ACT public service. I expect all ACT public service chief executives to participate in cross-cultural awareness training in 2002 to provide leadership and to set an example across the ACT public service in developing a better understanding between the cultures of the first Australians and those who subsequently arrived here. A mentoring program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their work units will be developed and promotion of vacancies within the service to the indigenous community will be enhanced within the next six months.

Over $300,000 is available to employ 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in permanent positions and to support 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cadets. This funding complements initiatives from the framework. I am pleased to say that by the end of January 2002 it is anticipated that 10 positions in the ACT government will have been filled as a part of this process.

In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I have outlined some key areas on which my government will focus in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs. The relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous people is a critical one. The relative circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must improve as a part of that process. My

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