Page 2754 - Week 09 - Thursday, 8 August 2013
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Throughout the compilation of the report, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans provided plenty of feedback, advice and ideas. A key example of this is when the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body met with the ACT government to advise on what information was most valuable to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and how the data could be incorporated.
Through these discussions, additional information was gleaned and included in the report. This includes information on the demographics of ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, an overview on the ACT budget, and a message from the chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, Mr Rod Little, who shares his perspective on the outcomes of the report.
The ACT closing the gap report 2013 found that when compared nationally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans are more likely to have higher levels of education and training, greater participation in the workforce, lower rates of unemployment and to own or be purchasing a home.
However, positive national comparisons cannot hide the fact that when compared to the rest of the ACT, we have a long way to go. It also found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans access health services less frequently than those in most other jurisdictions and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the surrounding region will cross the border to use ACT services and programs.
Significantly, the ACT closing the gap report 2013 demonstrates the government’s commitment to closing-the-gap building blocks and highlights new initiatives which are addressing the closing-the-gap partnerships. This is highlighted through the inclusion of performance data on the objectives, outcomes, output and performance measures that all governments have committed to achieve as part of the Council of Australian Governments’ closing-the-gap targets.
When reading through the report, it is important to remember that the information in it is intended as an analysis of progress on meeting the targets. For example, the ACT closing the gap report 2013 indicates improvements in the areas of education, particularly reading, and the attainment of year 12 qualifications. In the ACT, the year 12 or equivalent attainment rate was 71.1 per cent in 2011 and the gap closed by 4.4 percentage points from 2006. The result of 71.1 per cent is above the progress point of 69.8 per cent on the trajectory to meeting the target of 80.7 per cent by 2020.
There is still more work to be done but these are impressive figures. Indeed, we are gearing up to deliver ongoing improvements through the new Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs within the Community Services Directorate. This new unit brings together different policy and service functions into a reinforced core unit that will increase cultural awareness and competency throughout the directorate.
I urge all of my colleagues to read the ACT closing the gap report 2013 to see examples of the exciting and innovative programs and initiatives that have been implemented to help on the journey to closing the gap. This report provides the beginning of a bigger conversation—an opportunity for us to reflect on what works and how we can continue to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT.
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