Page 255 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 2018
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led by skilled and trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and aims to divert Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children away from the statutory child protection system. Family group conferencing empowers the immediate and extended family of children to make plans to keep their children safe and well and to commit to these plans. We know that the answer to keeping children safe ultimately lies with families and not courts. I look forward to sharing with the ACT community the successes and learnings of the family group conferencing trial over this year. During 2018 feedback from families who participate in the pilot program will be used to improve the model as we work to build a pool of skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders workers who can sustain this model.
We also continue our commitment to the local community through the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement 2015-18. As I discussed earlier this week, work is underway to start the process of developing the next five-year agreement. Our expectation is that the refreshed agreement will form the basis of the ACT action plan, under the commonwealth’s closing the gap agenda, and will allow for the development of a solid evidence base to demonstrate the effectiveness of agreed initiatives.
The eighth hearings of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body are scheduled for 14 and 15 March 2018. The hearings process has proved to be a successful method of interaction between the government and the community, culminating in a body of advice that can be used to inform improvements to service delivery and policy development, leading to better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
A key highlight for 2018, as the attorney has mentioned, will be the inaugural ACT Reconciliation Day public holiday. The first Reconciliation Day, to be celebrated on Monday, 28 May, is of particular significance, as the ACT is the first Australian jurisdiction to gazette such a public holiday celebrating and promoting reconciliation. A whole-of-government approach is being taken to support activities and events associated with Reconciliation Day. A program of events is currently being developed, including a grants program for events in the lead-up to Reconciliation Day. The grants program opened on 12 February, and I encourage all community groups to get involved.
The government remains committed to ensuring the safety of our citizens. While the rate of serious injury and disease in ACT workplaces continues to fall and has done so each year since 2010-11, we still have more to do. In 2018 WorkSafe will be increasing the proactive focus of its regulatory activities, using data to ensure that those industries and businesses where the risk of harm is greatest or with poor compliance histories are appropriately targeted. There will be specific targets in 2018 covering young workers, light rail safety, retail, aged and health care, electrical safety and an ongoing focus on falls from heights. Access Canberra regulators, including WorkSafe ACT, will continue to work closely together to ensure in the first instance that businesses and individuals understand their obligations and that those who choose to deliberately flout the law and risk putting our workers and/or community at risk do not escape the consequences.
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