Social Justice Report 2003: SUMMARY SHEET ONE: RECOMMENDATIONS

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SUMMARY SHEET ONE: RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATION 1 ON RECONCILIATION: DATA COLLECTION

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

Recommendation 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.

Recommendation 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.

Recommendation 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

Recommendation 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.

Recommendation 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.

Recommendation 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.

Recommendation 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

Recommendation 10

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

Recommendation 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.

Recommendation 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.