Page 2651 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 August 2015
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There were other things in there. Economic participation was another one that we saw that was not quite clear. We felt that more of the detail should have come to the surface and more of the communication of what the government’s intention is. That would give some confidence in community that this agreement, whole-of-government agreement, is taken seriously.
I ask the minister: what consultation and communication took place with the elected body to understand the needs and wants of the Indigenous community leading into the 2015-16 financial year? Is the newly implemented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement just a matter of the government continuing to pay lip service? With this in mind the estimates committee went on to recommend:
… that the ACT Government undertake consistent monitoring of key objectives in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Agreement to ensure milestones are being met and report to the … Assembly on a quarterly basis.
Minister Berry advised in estimates that this agreement is a “living document” which can be adapted to suit changing needs identified by the government or the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body. Adaptability is appropriate as long as it does not lead to moving goalposts and unattainable milestones as a result.
I spoke in the debate at this time last year about Gugan Gulwan, the wonderful services that they provide and the desperate need they have for additional space as they had outgrown the facility near the Erindale shopping centre in Wanniassa. The government seemed to be in tune with this and options were being explored with Gugan for alternative premises. Fast forward 12 months and we are here again today and we still have Gugan at the same site with the same issues and still looking for assistance from the government to move to more suitable premises. In these 12 months we have received more glossy brochures from the government, but what this community needs is real change, transparency in communication and an understanding of the community’s expectations.
And need I mention the Ngunnawal bush healing farm, a project that encapsulates the inept ability of those opposite to deliver capital works projects—years late, millions over budget, all to deliver only a fraction of the original project, and all this before the project has even got off the ground. That is the Labor way—off scope, late and over budget.
I will end by speaking about youth and the matters of concern current in this sector. The Youth Coalition appeared before estimates this year to provide some enlightening insight into the issues facing the youth community in the ACT. They detailed the concerns of education, the need for family engagement within the school community and also the consistent issue of racism in schools and the need to address this. Employment, mental health and education also formed part of the discussion this year, with the committee recommending:
… that the ACT Government implement a whole-of-government strategy to address issues affecting Canberra’s youth such as employment and mental health support, with a focus on early intervention and prevention.
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