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Social Justice Report 2003: Recommendations

Social Justice Report 2003

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  • Recommendations

    In accordance with the functions set out
    in section 46C(1)(a) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
    Act 1986
    (Cth), this report includes 12 recommendations. The recommendations
    appear in the text of the report and are also reproduced here.

    Recommendation 1 on reconciliation: Data collection

    1. That the federal government request the
    Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to provide to COAG information on
    the actions that need to be taken in order to improve Indigenous data
    collection. The ABS should respond to the suggestions made by the Steering
    Committee for the Review of Government Service Delivery in the Overcoming
    Indigenous Disadvantage Report 2003
    , as well as identify actions
    that they consider necessary to ensure the availability of relevant data
    on a regular basis. In providing this information, the ABS should:

    • identify those issues that could be addressed through
      improvements to its existing data collection processes, as well as those
      issues which would require additional one-off funding allocations and
      those issues which would require additional recurrent funding from the
      federal government or COAG;
    • estimate the cost of any additional one-off and recurrent
      funding needs, including the cost of conducting the Indigenous General
      Social Survey on a triennial basis; and
    • consult with the Steering Committee for the Review of
      Government Services, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission,
      and other relevant agencies.

    Recommendations 2 -5 on Reconciliation: Ministerial
    Council Action Plans

    2. That the federal government, through
    its leadership role in the Council of Australian Governments, ensure that
    all Commonwealth / State Ministerial Councils finalise action plans on
    addressing Indigenous disadvantage and reconciliation by 30 June 2004.
    These action plans must contain benchmarks, with specific timeframes (covering
    short, medium and long term objectives) for their realisation. Where appropriate,
    these benchmarks should correlate with the strategic change indicators
    and headline indicators reported annually by the Steering Committee for
    the Provision of Government Services.

    3. That the federal government, through
    its leadership role in the Council of Australian Governments, request
    the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) to advise
    COAG whether it endorses these action plans and the benchmarks contained
    within, following consultations through its Regional Councils. ATSIC should
    be required to advise COAG of its endorsement or any concerns about the
    action plans within a maximum period of six months after being furnished
    with the action plans.

    4. That the federal government ensure that
    all Commonwealth / State Ministerial Council Action Plans are made publicly
    available as a compendium of national commitments to overcoming Indigenous
    disadvantage.

    5. That COAG publicly report on progress
    in meeting the benchmarks contained in each Commonwealth / State Ministerial
    Council Action Plan on an annual basis.

    Recommendations 6 - 9 on reconciliation: COAG Whole-of-government
    community trials

    6. That the federal government, through
    the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, commit
    to the existence of the Indigenous Communities Coordination Taskforce
    for a minimum of the five year duration of the COAG whole-of-government
    community trials and accordingly commit resources to the Taskforce until
    2007.

    7. That federal government departments participating
    in the COAG whole-of-government trials increase their staffing commitments
    to the Indigenous Communities Coordination Taskforce by placing additional
    officers in the Taskforce's Secretariat.

    8. That COAG request the Productivity Commission
    (as Chair of the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service
    Provision) to provide advice on aligning the benchmarks and outcomes agreed
    at the local level with COAG's National Framework for Reporting on Indigenous
    Disadvantage. This advice should include any recommendations for adapting
    the Indigenous Communities Coordination Taskforce Database to enable reporting
    of outcomes against this National Framework.

    9. That COAG agree and fund an independent
    monitoring and evaluation process for the whole-of-government community
    trials initiative. The Productivity Commission, Commonwealth Grants Commission
    or ATSIC's National Office of Evaluation and Audit would be suitable agencies
    to conduct this review.

    Recommendations 10-12 on capacity building and governance
    reform

    10. That COAG adopt ATSIC's Integrated
    framework on capacity building and sustainable development
    as a central
    component of its Reconciliation Framework.

    11. That COAG also provide funding for research
    into best-practice models of governance reform and capacity building relating
    to Indigenous peoples in Australia. Such research should be based on overseas
    models such as the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development,
    and build on the findings of existing work on governance reform in Australia.

    12. That the Minister for Aboriginal and
    Torres Strait Islander Affairs (Cth) ensure that reform of the Aboriginal
    Councils and Associations Act 1976
    (Cth) is treated as a high priority
    of the federal government and ensure extensive consultation is undertaken
    with Indigenous peoples about proposed amendments to the legislation.
    Any proposed legislative reforms should be in accordance with the recommendations
    of the 2002 review of the Act's operation. In particular, proposed amendments
    should recognise the need for special regulatory assistance for Indigenous
    organisations and maintain a distinct legislative framework for regulation
    outside of the Corporations Act as a special measure.