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It is crucial to the functioning of the native title system that there are organisations representing Indigenous people and assisting them to gain recognition and protection of native title.

Looking back over the last 12 months, I can genuinely say that we’ve moved closer to these objectives. But we must move closer still in our efforts to see this agenda of hope realised.

Bringing Them Home - the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families (the National Inquiry) - made 54 'head' recommendations, 83 recommendations in total [1], to address what was referred to as 'the continuing devastation of the lives of Indigenous Australians'. The implementation of most recommendations requires action to be taken by the Commonwealth Government and/or State or Territory Governments.

In June 2011, the Commission welcomed action taken by the Australian Government to move a significant number of families and unaccompanied children from immigration detention facilities to community-based detention.

After 11 years of conservative rule under the Howard Government, that saw Indigenous peoples’ native title rights and interests severely degraded under the Wik 10 Point Plan, the election of the Labor Government raised an opportunity to renew the relationship between the State and Australia’s Indigenous peoples.

An entrenched pattern of disadvantage and dispossession continues to wreak havoc and destruction in Indigenous families and communities. This situation has been described in the preceding chapters of this Part. State and Territory legislation, policy and practice in the areas of child welfare, care and protection, adoption and juvenile justice do not comply with the evaluation criteria established by the Inquiry (see Chapter 15).

A note from the Commissioner New arrangements for Indigenous affairs New arrangements event timeline What are the new arrangements ? Walking with the women Race discrimination and shared responsibility agreements Getting more out of native title Agreement making guidelines Links to the new arrangements Where to from here?