Recommendation 127

The Australian Government continues to promote and strengthen the rights of Indigenous peoples through a range of policies and programmes. Information on policies and programmes, at a federal level, can be found on the Indigenous Affairs page on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website. Australian governments fund and deliver a range of programmes aimed at addressing the inequalities faced by Indigenous people, including through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. Information on the strategy and current programmes can be found on the Indigenous Advancement Strategy page on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.

In 2008, all Australian governments agreed to address the disadvantage faced by Indigenous Australians through the Closing the Gap framework. Work towards achieving the Closing the Gap targets, which include life expectancy, child mortality, early childhood education, literacy and numeracy, educational attainment and employment, continues.

The Prime Minister’s 2017 Closing the Gap Report can be found on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Some targets are due to expire in 2018. Through the Council Of Australian Governments, all governments have reaffirmed that improving the lives of Indigenous Australians is a strategic priority for the nation, and have agreed to consider a refreshed framework, targets and implementation principles for the Closing the Gap agenda.
The Australian Government will continue its commitment to providing universal access to healthcare, education and early childhood education, including to all Indigenous children. The Australian Government’s needs based schools funding model allocates funding to state and territory governments as well as non-government education systems. This approach recognises that schools and school systems are best placed to understand the individual needs of students including Indigenous students. It also allows schools and Indigenous communities the autonomy to pursue bilingual education, if they choose.

The Australian Government’s Connected Beginnings program integrates early childhood, maternal and child health, and family support services with schools in a selected number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities experiencing disadvantage. Connected Beginnings aims to better prepare Indigenous children for school. To date, 12 communities are delivering the program with continued progressive implementation.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages provides for the development of appropriate curricula to support Indigenous bilingual education, which can support children having the opportunity to acquire initial literacy and numeracy in their first language; this has an impact both on Indigenous education outcomes and addressing Indigenous language loss.

Australia has universal health coverage. Free access to public hospital services, and partially or completely subsidised access to medical services (through the Medical Benefits Schedule), and medications (through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), are available to all Australian residents and certain categories of visitors to Australia. In addition, the Australian Government funds a national network of approximately 140 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and around 40 other providers to deliver free at the point of access comprehensive, culturally appropriate primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Information on policies and programmes can be found on the Indigenous health page on the Department of Health , also on the Indigenous affairs page on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet .

The Australian Government is establishing a trial for a series of applications to be used in preschool to improve English literacy outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children for whom English is a second language. Children will access the apps on tablet devices supported by educators trained on how to integrate ELLIC into the preschool's learning program. ELLIC supports the Australian Government's commitment to Closing the Gap in literacy achievement between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and non-Indigenous children.

The ABSTUDY Scheme is an on-going special measure to assist in addressing the educational disadvantage of Indigenous Australians. The main objectives of the ABSTUDY Scheme are to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available; promote equity of educational opportunity and improve educational outcomes. For more information see the Department of Human Services.

The Australian Government’s settlement programmes support new migrants and humanitarian entrants and have a strong focus on supporting pathways to employment, education and access to English language tuition. In October 2017, the Australian Government Department of Social Services launched the new Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP). The design of the HSP represents a significant reform to the policy objectives and services previously provided to h umanitarian entrants. The HSP builds skills and knowledge for social and economic wellbeing of humanitarian entrants through a needs-based case management approach. The program is focussed on improving English language, education and employment outcomes , encourages innovation and increased efficiency in service delivery; and improves linkages to the Adult Migrant English Program and the Skills for Education and Employment Program, (administered by the Department of Education and Training) and jobactive, (administered by the Department of Jobs and Small Business). The program has been renamed the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program and will commence in 2019. 

jobactive is the Australian Government’s employment service which connects job seekers with employers and is delivered by a network of jobactive providers in over 1700 locations across Australia. Job seekers can get help from a jobactive provider to get and keep a job. jobactive providers have the flexibility to tailor their services to a job seeker’s assessed needs. Employers can use a local jobactive provider for tailored recruitment services, at no cost to their business. As at 31 August 2017, jobactive supports around 720,000 job seekers across urban and regional areas of Australia. Indigenous Australians make up over 10 per cent of all those job seekers assisted through jobactive. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds make up a further 19 per cent of all those job seekers assisted through jobactive. For further information visit the jobactive page on the Department of Employment.

The Disability Employment Services (DES) program is the Australian Government’s specialist employment assistance program to support people with disability into long-term, open employment. Approximately 19 percent of participants are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and a further six percent are Indigenous Australians. Since 2010, DES has assisted 249,282 participants find a job in which they have stayed in for at least 6 months. Of these participants, 37,921 (15 percent) were from CALD backgrounds and 11,726 (5 per cent) were Indigenous Australians.

For information on state and territory policies and programmes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, visit:

• Australian Capital Territory – Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs

• New South Wales – Office of Communities—Aboriginal Affairs
• Northern Territory – Office of Aboriginal Affairs
• Queensland – Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
• South Australia – Department of Premier and Cabinet, Aboriginal Community Advice and Support,
• Tasmania – Department of Premier and Cabinet, Office of Aboriginal Affairs
• Victoria – Department of Premier and Cabinet, Aboriginal Victoria
• Western Australia – Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage

For information about state and territory health services, visit:

• Australian Capital Territory – ACT Health
• New South Wales – NSW Health
• Northern Territory – Department of Health
• Queensland – Queensland Health
• South Australia – SA Health
• Tasmania – Department of Health and Human Services
• Victoria – Health.Vic
• Western Australia – WA Country Health

For information about state and territory policies and programmes for children’s education, visit:

• Australian Capital Territory – Education Directorate
• New South Wales – Department of Education
• Northern Territory – Department of Education
• Queensland – Department of Education and Training
• South Australia – Department for Education
• Tasmania – Department of Education Tasmania
• Victoria – Department of Education and Training
• Western Australia – Department of Education